Changing The Future In The Past
by EmrysLover1215
Summary: During the meeting at the end of TLO, Chaos intervenes. He decides that the best way for the Gods and demigods to defeat Gaia is for them to understand the future. New demigods are introduced as well as a secret... a secret that could change the lives of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase forever.
1. Prologue

**As you know, my penname used to be EmrysLover12. My account was deleted without my knowledge so I had to create a new one... and somehow try and find over a hundred stories I was following before...**

**I am re-uploading my stories, but slowly as a precaution. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, though I can always wish**

**Takes place during the meeting after Percy defeated Kronos and he is telling his wish to the Gods in the throne room.**

_"PERCY JACKSON!" Poseidon announced. My name echoed around the chamber._

_All talking died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire._

_Everyone's eyes were on me-all the gods, the demigods, the Cyclopes, the spirits._

_I walked into the middle of the throne room. Hestia smiled at me reassuringly. She was in the form of a girl now, and she seemed happy and content to be sitting by her fire again. Her smile gave me courage to keep walking._

_First I bowed to Zeus. Then I knelt at my father's feet._

_"Rise, my son," Poseidon said._

_I stood uneasily._

_"A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon said. "Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?"_

_I waited for someone to pipe up. The gods never agreed on anything, and many of them still didn't like me, but not a single one protested._

_"The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."_

_I hesitated. "Any gift?"_

_Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson – if you wish it – you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time."_

_I stared at him, stunned. "Um . . . a god?"_

_Zeus rolled his eyes. "A dimwitted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever."_

_"Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash him to a pulp as often as I want, and he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."_

_"I approve as well," Athena said, though she was looking at Annabeth._

_I glanced back. Annabeth was trying not to meet my eyes. Her face was pale. I flashed back to two years ago, when I'd thought she was going to take the pledge to Artemis and become a Hunter. I'd been on the edge of a panic attack, thinking that I'd lose her. Now, she looked pretty much the same way._

_I thought about the Three Fates, and the way I'd seen my life flash by. I could avoid all that. No aging, no death, no body in the grave. I could be a teenager forever, in top condition, powerful, and immortal, serving my father. I could have power and eternal life._

_Who could refuse that?_

_Then I looked at Annabeth again. I thought about my friends from camp: Charles Beckendorf, Michael Yew, Silena Beauregard, so many others who were now dead. I thought about Ethan Nakamura and Luke._

_And I knew what to do._

_"No," I said._

_The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have misheard._

_"No?" Zeus said. "You are . . . turning__down__our generous gift?"_

_There was a dangerous edge to his voice, like a thunderstorm about to erupt._

_"I'm honored and everything," I said. "Don't get me wrong. It's just . . . I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year."_

_The gods were glaring at me, but Annabeth had her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were shining. And that kind of made up for it._

_"I do want a gift, though," I said. "Do you promise to grant my wish?"_

_Zeus thought about this. "If it is within our power."_

_"It is," I said. "And it's not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx."_

_"Someone once told me," I said, looking at Hades, "you should always get a solemn oath."_

_Hades shrugged. "Guilty."_

_"Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your__reasonable__request as long as it is within our power."_

_The other gods muttered assent. Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made._

_"From now on, I want to you properly recognize the children of the gods," I said. "All the children . . . of__all__the gods."_

_The Olympians shifted uncomfortably._

_"Percy," my father said, "what exactly do you mean?"_

_"Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents," I said. "They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason."_

_Zeus's royal nostrils flared. "You dare accuse-"_

_"No more undetermined children," I said. "I want you to promise to claim your children – all your demigod children – by the time they turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive."_

_"Now, wait just a moment," Apollo said, but I was on a roll._

_"And the minor gods," I said. "Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe-they all deserve a general amnesty and a place at Camp Half-Blood. Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned too. And Hades-"_

_"Are you calling me a__minor god__?" Hades bellowed._

_"No, my lord," I said quickly. "But your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that.__No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are.__They'll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway.__You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated with respect. That is my wish."_

_Zeus snorted. "Is that all?"_

_"Percy," Poseidon said, "you ask much. You presume much."_

_"I hold you to your oath," I said. "All of you."_

_I got a lot of steely looks. Strangely, it was Athena who spoke up:_

_"The boy is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Percy Jackson, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps"-she glanced at Annabeth, and then spoke as if the words had a sour taste-"perhaps I was mistaken. I move that we accept the boy's plan."_

_"Humph," Zeus said. "Being told what to do by a mere child. But I suppose . . ."_

_"All in favor," Hermes said._

All the Gods raised their hands and a blinding light filled the throne room, causing everyone, even the Gods, to cover their eyes. When the light disappeared they noticed all the demigods besides Annabeth, Percy, Thalia, Nico, Grover and Tyson disappeared. While looking around in panic, they noticed a book sitting on the floor in between the Gods and Demigods. It was a fairly thick book with a sea green cover and silver writing that no one could make out.

Hermes was the one to move first. He crossed the room and gently picked the book up, as if afraid it was about to bite him. His eyes widened upon reading the cover and he looked almost panicked. He stood staring at the book for a few minutes more until Zeus finally lost his patience.

"Well Hermes?" He thundered. "What is the meaning of this?"

Hermes looked up at all the worried and anxious faces and gulped. "It is a book."

Zeus rolled his eyes. "Yes we can see that. But why does this book make you act like that?"

Hermes gulped again and, with a panicked glance at Poseidon and Percy, said, "It says, The Son of Neptune milord."

Everything stilled. Poseidon's eyes widened and Percy shared a glance with Annabeth.

"What," Poseidon began slowly, "is a book about my son doing here?"

Hermes opened the book and looked for some answers. He found them when he saw the publishing date. "This book is from the future!"

Chaos began. Gods were yelling amongst themselves while the demigods began to fuss over Percy, though trying not to be obvious.

"Guys!" Percy yelled at them. They stopped their badgering at once. "If that book is from the future, how would I know what is going to happen?" They all looked abashed. They admitted asking Percy what he did and if he was ok was stupid. After all, how was he to know the answer to that as well?

Zeus, again, seemed to grow impatient. "Silence!" He boomed, ceasing all noise in the room. "Hermes," he continued in a controlled voice, obviously trying hard not to yell again, "is there anything in there that will tell us if the book is truly from the future or not?"

Hermes looked some more and finally seemed to find a sticky note in the back of the book. He cleared his throat and began to read.

_Dear Gods and Demigods,_

_I have seen the future and it is not something I wish would come about. So, to change it, for the better, I have sent you all a book from the future. This book takes place eight months from now and is very important. You cannot make any decisions until after you have finished the book. I shall also send some other people as well, from the future and the present. I am also the one responsible for your missing friends, but they were not needed for the reading. The people from the future may answer any questions you ask, but if they so choose they do not have to. They will arrive momentarily._

_Good luck,_

_Chaos_

Silence descended the throne room once again. Everyone seemed to be in a type of shock. It was finally broken by Athena.

"B-but that is impossible!" She spluttered. "Lord Chaos never takes action in the world."

"As impossible as it seems," Hades grumbled, "it is undeniably true."

Athena fell silent.

Everyone was waiting, on edge, for the "guests" arrived.

And arrive they did.

Another brilliant light erupted out of nowhere, again causing people to shield their eyes. When it disappeared, everyone was staring in shock at the visitors.

They could tell right away that there were only three people from their time with the group. They each looked as though they just came from war, which they did. Sally Jackson was looking around the room in awe, not yet realizing her son was standing across the room. Paul was gaping at the Gods in amazement, his mouth wide open, causing some amused looks. The third person from their time drew raised eyebrows. It was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was looking at everything with curiosity and awe. She looked as though she were itching to get her sketchbook and pencils and draw everything. The ones from the future were much more surprising.

Thalia was standing in front of everyone else, wearing her famous death to Barbie t-shirt. She had a scowl on her face and seemed to have extreme sadness in her eyes. Nico was standing slightly behind Thalia and looked even more depressed than usual. (They are from before Nico finds Percy at camp Jupiter.) There were three demigods that no one recognized. There was a boy with blonde hair and had a scar on his face, with blue eyes. He held himself with more confidence than the other two. He had a look about him, as though he were missing something very important. The other boy seemed to have curly brown hair and elfish features. He was grinning broadly at everyone. The other was a beautiful girl. She had long brown locks and kaleidoscope eyes, she also had a dagger strapped to her belt, saying that she was not just a pretty face. The last person in the future group was the one that gained the most looks. It was Annabeth. But one so very different than the present one. This Annabeth had bloodshot eyes, as though all she has been doing is crying. Her skin was stretched across her bones, emphasizing the fact that she doesn't eat much anymore. Her hair was in a very messy pony tail and she was wearing a sweatshirt much too big for her that read "Good High Swim Team".

She looked like the walking dead.

Thalia stepped up to Zeus, bowed, and stood back up quickly. All the while glaring daggers at Hera, causing some confusion. She reluctantly turned back to her father and demanded, "Father, what is going on? I thought the Gods went "silent"?" She asked mockingly.

Zeus looked flabbergasted that she would talk to him this way. His Thalia would never. What happened in the future that causes his daughter to react so cold to him? And what did she mean "silent"?

Athena, being the Goddess of Wisdom, could not resist explaining the situation. "You were brought here to read a book about the future." That gained her disbelieving looks. "Lord Chaos has sent it." Thalia, Nico and the blonde boy's eyes widened. Annabeth seemed to barely be listening, which made all the present demigods and Gods worry. "The six of you were brought here from the future while the rest of us are in the present. Well, the present for us." They seemed to accept that.

Aphrodite smiled, seeing her daughter and that blonde haired boy holding hands. She will make sure that they are together forever. But first, she needs to know who the boy is, first. "I believe introductions are in order." She said, gaining surprised looks. Just because she valued beauty does not mean she is an airhead.

Thalia nodded and began the introductions with the future group. "I am Thalia Grace, from the future, obviously. You can call me Thals so you don't get us messed up." She said, looking at her younger self.

Nico went next. "I am Nico di Angelo. Again from the future. You can call me Nick."

Annabeth was looking at something in her hand and didn't realize it was her turn. A tear leaked out of her eye and Thals and Nick exchanged worried looks. Thals gently put her hand on Annabeth's arm a gently shook her. Annabeth looked up with wide eyes, as though only now realizing what happened. Thals whispered something in her ear, causing Annabeth to speak. "I am Annabeth Chase. You can call me Anna." She went back to looking at whatever was in her hand, not realizing she gained extremely worried looks from everyone in the room, none as great as Percy's. What happened to his Wise Girl?

The unknown girl seemed to want to break the uncomfortable silence, so she stepped up and began her turn. "I am Piper Mclean. Daughter of Aphrodite and charmspeaker." She smiled at Aphrodite who beamed back.

The elfish boy was next. He was the only one in the room who did not seem depressed in any way. He had a huge grin on his face. "I am Leo Valdez. Son of Hephaestus and fire user." To emphasize, he lit his hand on fire causing everyone to gape.

The blonde boy looked uncertain when he stepped forward, putting all attention on him, except for Anna and Percy, who was watching Anna with a concerned look on his face. The boy swallowed and said, "I am Jason Grace," cue shocked gasps and Thalia looking like someone punched her in the gut, "son of Jupiter and praetor of the twelfth legion." Cue more shocked gasps.

"What is a Roman doing with Greeks?" Apollo asked. The present demigods were slightly confused. Roman?

"The future is really messed up." Jason said, nervous.

Thalia stepped forward then, her eyes on Jason. Everyone looked at her and watched as she ran forward and hugged her missing brother. "Jason! I thought you were dead!"

Jason chuckled and hugged her back. "Like I said, messed up."

Once their reunion was over, the people of the present began their introductions. Since Thalia was already standing, she began. "I am Thalia Grace of the present. Lieutenant of Artemis and daughter of Zeus."

Nico stepped forward. By unspoken rule, the ones who were also from the future would go first. "I am Nico di Angelo. Son of Hades and Ghost King." Hades looked proud, making Nico blush slightly.

Annabeth stepped forward then, occasionally glancing at her future self. Piper, Leo and Jason all looked at her in shock, as though they never saw her look like her normal self. They probably didn't. "I am Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena and architect of Olympus."

Grover then started. "I am Grover Underwood, satyr and Lord of the Wild."

Rachel then stepped forward, while looking extremely nervous. "I am Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and I am just a mortal who can see through your mist thingy." Again, Leo, Jason and Piper looked at her in shock. It was as though they were expecting her to say something different.

Paul's turn. "I am Paul Blofis, I am just a mortal." He seemed delighted saying that though.

Sally then stepped forward, feeling Poseidon's eyes on her. "I am Sally Jackson, clear sighted mortal."

The reactions that got out of the three new demigods were more than what they expected. Piper squeaked, Leo gasped and Jason's mouth dropped open. Sally looked confused as to why they would have such a reaction to her name.

Tyson broke the tension. "I am Tyson! Peanut Butter!" He yelled with a grin.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Tyson who was now smiling to himself. They chuckled.

Percy now knew it was his turn. He had a feeling he would get the biggest reaction of all so he purposefully waited till he was last. He stepped up and saw the trio's eyes widen drastically when they rested on him. He smiled. "I am Percy Jackson," they gasped, "son of Poseidon, and savior of Olym-." He was cut off when a body slammed into his; almost knocking him down if it weren't for his fast reflexes. He caught the person who slammed into him and now seemed to be trying to wrap their self around him. As soon as he saw the blonde hair he realized he was holding Anna from the future as she clung to him, sobbing.

He knew his face must have looked priceless, but everyone else's were about the same as his. In fact, Nick and Thals looked like they were holding themselves back from doing that themselves. Anna continued to sob and Percy's instincts kicked in. He always seemed to have an uncanny ability of comforting Annabeth. Ever since they first met he always seemed to know what to do when she was upset. He tightened his arms around her and rubbed his hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture. He kept whispering "Shh" knowing that will somehow sooth her. And it did. After a few minutes her crying began to grow softer until she was only sniffling. Percy continued his ministrations until he was positive she stopped. Sometime during all that, Zeus popped them up some couches and chairs so that they could be comfortable. Percy walked toward the biggest couch, Anna still wrapped around him, including her legs around his waist, and carefully sat down, setting Anna next to him. Annabeth looked extremely worried about her future self's behavior toward Percy and feared something happened to him. It would explain a lot. She sat on the other side of Percy, after the way her future self acted, there was no way she was leaving his side.

No one else made to sit down, they just continued to watch Percy and Anna. The futures were looking upset and Nick and Thals still had that strange longing look as they stared at Percy. The present people were now extremely worried and slightly horrified. What happened to make Anna act like that towards Percy?

Percy continued to rub Anna's back as she rested her head on his strong chest. Her hand still curled around the last thing he gave her before he disappeared. Just sitting there, smelling and feeling him again, was enough to make Anna want to cry. But she stopped herself. She knew she was in the past and he was not the Percy that she lost, but essentially, he was still Percy. She pulled her head away from his muscled chest, circled her arms around his neck, and pulled. She could see the surprise on his face right before she kissed him.

Annabeth gaped at her future self who was now kissing a very bewildered Percy. She was not the only one. Everyone, except Nick and Thals, had their mouths to the ground and were looking with wide eyes as the daughter of the Wisdom Goddess and the Son of the Sea God kissed. Percy, though still looking bewildered, made no move to end the kiss Anna initiated. After another minute of Anna kissing Percy passed, she finally stopped. She had a huge smile on her face while Percy could only gape while his cheeks started to turn red. Anna giggled, completely opposite of what she was like when she first got here. She looked around and noticed everyone's faces, especially her mother's murderous expression. Reality seemed to crash back into her and her eyes widened when she realized what she did. She quickly let go of Percy but did not move away from him. She would not be able to be separated from him now, she couldn't. Her cheeks flushed and she looked at the ground, not wanting to see everyone's faces anymore.

"Sorry." She muttered so lowly only Percy could here. He gently nudged her with his foot, unnoticed by everyone else, letting her know that it was okay. They always were good at their silent communications.

Thals decided to save her embarrassed best friend and sat next to her. "So, are we going to read this book or not?" She asked loudly, taking the attention off Anna.

Zeus got over his shock and cleared his throat. "Y-yes, let's begin the reading."

Everyone then settled on the couches and chairs. The couch Thals, Anna, Percy and Annabeth were on gained Nick and Grover. Thalia sat on another couch with Jason, Leo and Piper. Sally and Paul sat on a love seat and Nico, Rachel and Tyson sat on the remaining couch.

Zeus grabbed the book and began to read.

**Percy I**


	2. Percy I

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

**PS. I forgot to mention in the last chapter that all the other characters that were with the present demigods in The Last Olympian disappeared when the light did. I totally forgot about those guys! So, sorry**

"Percy I," Zeus began.

**The snake-haired ladies were starting to annoy Percy.**

Anna, Thals and Nick stiffened. They would finally find out what happened to Percy for all these months. Anna felt her hand clench the small object, reassuring herself that Percy has to come back to her. After he gave her that, he had to.

Percy raised his eyebrow. What sort of monster did he annoy this time? Apparently Thalia, Nico and Grover thought the same thing.

"Geeze Perce, what monster did you piss off this time?" Grover asked, chuckling. Percy huffed while everyone else laughed. Leo, Piper and Jason, however, were trying to understand that statement. Just how much trouble did Percy get into?

**They should have died three days ago when he dropped a crate of bowling balls on them at the Napa Bargain Mart. **

The Gods looked worried, along with the present people. They just stopped a war, now it seems like something else is going to happen in just a few mere months? Why can they never catch a break?

**They should have died two days ago when he ran over them with a police****car****in Martinez.**

Hermes and Apollo smirked.

**They**_**definitely**_**should have died this morning when he cut off their heads in Tidan Park.**

Annabeth and Anna looked to be the most worried out of the demigods. They were both sitting with their backs ramrod straight, their jaws were clenched and they were both pale.

**No matter how many times Percy killed them and watched them crumble to powder, they just kept re-forming like large evil dust bunnies.**

Percy ignored the weird looks he was getting from most of the group. The only ones not looking at him weird were Thalia/Thals, Nico/Nick, Annabeth/Anna, Grover, Sally and Poseidon. (I will call them the 'group' from now on when needed)

Nico chuckled, causing everyone to turn to him. "Only you, Perce, would think of monsters as large evil dust bunnies!"

The rest of their 'group' laughed with him, while Percy mock glared at them.

**He couldn't even seem to outrun them.**

The 'group's' eyes widened. Percy was an extremely fast runner, he must be exhausted.

**He reached the top of the hill and caught his breath. How long since he'd last killed them? Maybe two hours. They never seemed to stay dead longer than that.**

Now everyone was looking worried, including the future people.

"That is much faster than our time." Jason said, grimly.

**The past few days, he'd hardly slept. He'd eaten whatever he could scrounge-vending machine gummi bears, stale bagels, even a Jack in the Crack burrito, which was a new personal low. **

Percy looked disgusted in himself, causing everyone to laugh at the face he was making. "How can I eat that? Those are disgusting!"

Annabeth patted his hand, a smile tugging at her lips. "There there, it will all be over soon." She mock soothed.

Percy glared at her as the others laughed.

**His clothes were torn, burned, and splattered with monster slime.**

"Ew!" Aphrodite shrieked, a disgusted look upon her face. Many had to cover their ears at her high shrieks and Piper's face was burning in embarrassment. Why couldn't her mom have been Athena?

**He'd only survived this long because the two snake-haired ladies-**_**gorgons,**_

"What!" Annabeth and Anna yelled, causing everyone to jump.

Percy rubbed his sore ears, a result of having them both on either side of him. "What is it wise girl?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to explain, when she stopped. She looked around the now quiet room and saw something confusing.

Anna's eyes were red again and her lip was trembling, as though she were seconds away from bursting into tears. Nick and Thals were looking at Percy with painful expressions, while Jason, Piper and Leo were looking at him with shock.

Percy frowned, confused. "What's wrong?"

Leo pointed a shaking finger at him and exclaimed, very dramatically, "How are you not dead?"

Percy's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

Jason looked at Anna hesitantly before he answered. "Well, anyone who tried to call Anna Wise Girl, was knocked out and had her dagger at their necks. She threatened everyone who called her that."

Percy raised his eyebrow while Annabeth was looking even more worried than before. "I've always called her wise girl. It's my nickname for her."

The trio looked shocked. "Well, that explains it then." Jason said.

"Explains what?" Percy exclaimed. He was getting sick of how they acted towards him, he wanted an explanation. Now!

The trio looked at Anna nervously. "We should probably let the book explain." Piper said, wringing her hands.

Percy huffed and turned back to Annabeth. "So what were you going to say?"

She looked at Anna nervously before talking. "The gorgons, they were Madusa's sisters," Percy and Grover sucked in a breath, not noticing the curious glances thrown their way, "they faded centuries ago. I have no idea how they can be back. It shouldn't be possible!" She exclaimed, frustrated in her lack of knowledge.

Percy squeezed her hand, reassuring her.

**they called themselves-couldn't seem to kill him either. Their claws didn't cut his skin. Their teeth broke whenever they tried to bite him.**

Everyone who knew about the Styx incident, breathed a sigh of relief, while the others were looking at Percy with suspicion, awe, jealousy, and shock.

**But Percy couldn't keep going much longer. Soon he'd collapse from exhaustion, and then-as hard as he was to kill, he was pretty sure the gorgons would find a way.**

Poseidon gulped, along with Sally. They were worried about their only son.

**Where to run?**

**He scanned his surroundings. Under different circumstances, he might've enjoyed the view. To his left, golden hills rolled inland, dotted with lakes, woods, and a few herds of cows. To his right, the flatlands of Berkeley and Oakland marched west-a vast checkerboard of neighborhoods, with several million people who probably did not want their morning interrupted by two monsters and a filthy demigod.**

**Farther west, San Francisco Bay glittered under a silvery haze. **

Anna stiffened. He was that close?! She could have found him and brought him home! She felt like crying again.

**Past that, a wall of fog had swallowed most of San Francisco, leaving just the tops of skyscrapers and the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.**

**A vague sadness weighed on Percy's chest.**

Everyone looked at him, confused, not understanding what San Francisco means to him. Percy and Annabeth blushed, causing Annabeth to receive raised eyebrows.

Athena frowned. Annabeth lived in San Francisco.

**Something told him he'd been to San Francisco before. **

Percy frowned. "Of course I'd been to San Francisco before. What is going on?"

"The 'futures', except Anna, glanced at each other, worriedly. How was he going to take it when he realizes he loses his memory? Nick and Thals both braced themselves for the explosion they knew was coming.

**The city had some connection to Annabeth-the only person he could remember from his past.**

"WHAT?!" Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Thalia, Sally and Poseidon all yelled, causing others to jump. The people from the future were surprised as well. How is it that Jason remembered nothing, not even his own name, but Percy remembered Annabeth?

"What does that mean?!" Percy yelled at the people from the future, knowing they know the answer. He could feel Annabeth's hand clutching his with such power that, if he didn't have the curse, would break his fingers. Anna was clutching onto his leg, as though needing a physical reminder that he was here.

Thals looked at him, extreme sadness in her eyes. "You get taken out of camp, two months from now." The present people stiffened. "You were put to sleep for months and when you awoke, your memory was gone. The same happened to Jason, except his entire memory was gone. I don't know why you remember things. It is probably the curse."

Percy stared at her. "Who took me?" He asked, his voice soft, and dangerous.

The people who knew Percy felt their eyes widen at the sign of danger. Thals gulped. "Hera."

Everyone's heads swung around to the Queen of the Gods. The demigods glared at her while the Gods looked surprised. Hera was never involved with demigods, why now? Poseidon had a fierce glare on his face as he looked at his sister. He could feel the ground rumble beneath his feet and the water levels rise down on earth.

"You dare take my son and his memories?!" He thundered, his trident appearing in his hand, pointed at Hera. Zeus glared at his older brother, but was ignored. Hera looked back at Poseidon with a challenging look. She was deluded into thinking that she could control him just because she was the Queen of the Gods.

She was mistaken.

A shower of ocean water shot out of Poseidon's trident and hit her full on in the face. The force of the water was so powerful, it threw Hera off her throne and into the wall, cracking it. The room was silent as everyone looked between the weakly stirring Hera, and Poseidon, whose face was still set in fury. Zeus, who was about to intervene on his wife's behalf, backtracked when he saw his brother's face. The demigods were looking at Poseidon with fear and awe. All of them wishing they had a parent who cared as much about them as Poseidon did to Percy. Percy was smiling at his dad, happy that he cared. He knew his dad loved him, more so than most Gods loved their kids, but he liked it when Poseidon showed just how much he cared.

Poseidon, breathing deeply, vanished his trident. He strode over to Percy and pulled him into a hug, as though needing a reminder that his son was there, safe.

"I will always protect you." He whispered in Percy's ear, though in the silence of the room, everyone heard. Aphrodite had tears in her eyes at the love that was emanating from the two, while everyone was finding it very difficult to look at Father and Son as they had their moment. After a few more seconds of hugging, Poseidon released Percy and walked back to his throne. Hera, healed by Apollo, was sitting in her throne already and flinched when Poseidon came close.

**His memory of her was frustratingly dim.**

Anna's eyes welled with tears, threatening to fall. Percy put his arm around her and rubbed her arm soothingly, instantly calming her.

**The wolf had promised he would see her again and regain his memory-**_**if**_**he succeeded in his journey.**

Everyone who knew Percy, stiffened.

**Should he try to cross the bay?**

"Yes."

"No."

Anna and Annabeth looked at each other, along with the rest of the room.

Annabeth raised her eyebrow. "He would have to cross an entire city to reach the bay, there would be no way he could escape from the monsters for that long."

Anna just looked at her with her depressing gaze. "He could make it." Her voice was soft and had a longing tone in it. "He could make it back to me."

The room got extremely uncomfortable, extremely fast. Percy shifted in his seat while the others shot him glances from time to time. What is going on with Anna? Obviously they became even closer than they are now. Maybe they began dating? Percy's face reddened at the thought. He knew he liked Annabeth, might even love her, but does she? From the looks of Anna though, he didn't really have any doubt.

**It was tempting. He could feel the power of the ocean just over the horizon. Water always revived him. Salt water was the best. He'd discovered that two days ago when he had strangled a sea monster in the Carquinez Strait.**

Jason, Leo and Piper's eyes widened as they looked at him. No one else in the room seemed at all surprised, which means it must be a daily occurrence for him to do something big like that.

Jason swallowed. This was the guy he was supposed to replace?

**If he could reach the bay, he might be able to make a last stand. Maybe he could even drown the gorgons. But the shore was at least two miles away. He'd have to cross an entire city.**

Annabeth wanted to be smug, but all she felt was sadness.

**He hesitated for another reason. The she-wolf Lupa had taught him to sharpen his senses-to trust the instincts that had been guiding him south. His homing radar was tingling like crazy now. **

"Wait!" Thalia yelled, startling a few people. "You mean your instincts get better?" She sounded amazed, though she tried to hide it.

The ones who really knew Percy, knew he already had amazing instincts. How was it possible for him to get better?

**The end of his journey was close-almost right under his feet. But how could that be? There was nothing on the hilltop.**

Athena looked thoughtful. It could be…

**The wind changed. Percy caught the sour scent of reptile. A hundred yards down the slope, something rustled through the woods-snapping branches, crunching leaves, hissing.**

**Gorgons.**

Anna, Annabeth, Sally and Poseidon looked terrified.

**For the millionth time, Percy wished their noses weren't so good. They had always said they could**_**smell**_**him because he was a demigod-the half-blood of some Roman god. **

The demigods who were Percy's friends, glared. He was no Roman! He was Greek! He was taken from them and they were going to get him back!

**Percy had tried rolling in mud, splashing through creeks, even keeping air-freshener sticks in his pockets so he'd have that new car smell; but apparently demigod stink was hard to mask.**

Several people snorted while a few others laughed out loud. AKA Thalia, Thals, Nick and Nico. Only Percy would think and try something like this!

**He scrambled to the west side of the summit It was too steep to descend. The slope plummeted eighty feet, straight to the roof of an apartment complex built into the hillside. Fifty feet below that, a highway emerged from the hill's base and wound it's way toward Berkely.**

**Great. No other way off the hill. He'd managed to get himself cornered.**

Annabeth and Anna stiffened. Percy tightened his hold on their hands, reminding them that he was still there.

**He stared at the stream of cars flowing west toward San Francisco and wished he were in one of them. Then he realized the highway must cut through the hill. There must be a tunnel...right under his feet.**

Jason looked thoughtful. The place sounded familiar, as though he had been there before…

**His internal radar went nuts. He**_**was**_**in the right place, just too high up. He had to check out that tunnel. He needed a way down to the highway-fast.**

**He slung off his backpack. He'd managed to grab a lot of supplies at the Napa Bargain Mart: a portable GPS, duct tape, lighter, superglue, water bottle, camping roll, a Comfy Panda Pillow Pet (as seen on TV),**

Percy received raised eyebrows at this. He blushed.

**and a Swiss army knife-pretty much every tool a modern demigod could want. But he had nothing that would serve as a parachute or a sled.**

**That left him two options: jump eighty feet to his death, or stand and fight. Both options sounded pretty bad.**

Anna and Annabeth sighed. "You're going to fight." They said in unison. Percy didn't look at them, too busy trying to hide his blush.

**He cursed and pulled his pen from his pocket.**

"See." They said, again.

Thalia looked at them with a slightly disturbed face. "That's kind of creepy, you know?"

They didn't answer her.

**The pen didn't look like much, just a regular cheap ball-point, but when Percy uncapped it, it grew into a glowing bronze sword. The blade balanced perfectly. The leather group fit his hand like it had been custom designed for him. Etched along the guard was an Ancient Greek work Percy somehow understood:**_**Anaklusmos-**_**Riptide.**

Leo's jaw dropped. "Man! That sounds way cooler than your coin Jason!"

Jason glared at him, but he had to admit it was true.

**He'd woken up with this sword his first night at the Wolf House-two months ago? More? He'd lost track. **

Anna's eyes filled with tears again.

**He'd found himself in the courtyard of a burned-put mansion in the middle of the woods, wearing shorts, an orange t-shirt, and a leather necklace with a bunch of strange clay beads. Riptide had been in his hand, but Percy had no idea how he'd gotten there, and only the vaguest idea who he was. He'd been barefoot, freezing, and confused. And then the wolves came...**

"That would be Lupa." Jason said, his memory of her slightly more clear.

**Right next to him, a familiar voice jolted him back to the present: 'There you are!'**

**Percy stumbled away from the gorgon, almost falling off the edge of the hill.**

**It was the smiley one – Beano.**

"There is no gorgon named Beano." Athena said haughtily. Trust the Sea Spawn not to know that simple fact.

Annabeth glared at her mother. "His dyslexia probably rearranged the words and made him think it was Beano. He probably means Stheno."

Athena looked at her daughter, shocked. She then glared at Percy, blaming him for her daughter's attitude toward her.

**Okay, her name wasn't really Beano. As near as Percy could figure, he was dyslexic, because words got twisted around when he tried to read. The first time he'd seen the gorgon, posing as a Bargain Mart greeter with a big green button that read: Welcome! My name is Stheno, he'd thought it said beano.**

Annabeth smirked at her mother, making her quietly fume. "See."

**She was still wearing her green Bargain Mart employee vest over a flower-print dress. If you looked just at her body, you might think she was somebody's dumpy old grandmother – until you looked down and realized she had rooster feet. Or you looked up and saw bronze tusks sticking out of the corners of her mouth. Her eyes glowed red, and her hair was a writhing nest of bright green snakes.**

**The most horrible thing about her?**

"It gets worse?" Aphrodite shrieked.

**She was still holding her big silver platter of free samples: Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. Her platter was dented from all the times Percy had killed her, but those little samples looked perfectly fine. Stheno just kept toting them across California so she could offer Percy a snack before she killed him.**

"At least she's a nice monster." Leo smiled, not noticing the weird looks he received.

**Percy didn't know why she kept doing that, but if he ever needed a suit of armor he was going to make it out of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. They were indestructible.**

They laughed. Percy's mind really was comic relief.

**'Try one?' Stheno offered.**

**Percy fended her off with his sword. 'Where's your sister?'**

**'Oh, put the sword away,' Stheno chided. 'You know by now that even celestial bronze can't kill us for long. Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener! They're on sale this week, and I'd hate to kill you on an empty stomach.'**

**'Stheno!' The second gorgon appeared on Percy's right so fast he didn't have time to react. Fortunately she was too busy glaring at her sister to pay him much attention. 'I told you to sneak up on him and kill him!'**

**Stheno's smile wavered. 'But, Euryale ' She said the name so it rhymed with Muriel. 'Can't I give him a sample first?'**

**'No, you imbecile!' Euryale turned towards Percy and bared her fangs.**

**Except for her hair, which was a nest of coral snakes instead of green vipers, she looked exactly like her sister. Her Bargain Mart vest, her flowery dress, even her tusks were decorated with 50% off stickers. Her name badge read: Hello! My name is die, demigod scum!**

"Well, that might have blown her cover." Nico said, causing laughter to erupt.

**'You've lead us on quite a chase, Percy Jackson,' Euryale said. 'But now you're trapped, and we'll have our revenge!'**

**'The Cheese 'n' Wieners are only $2.99,' Stheno added helpfully. 'Grocery department, aisle three.'**

**Euryale snarled. 'Stheno, the Bargain Mart was a front! You're going native! Now, put down that ridiculous tray and help me kill this demigod. Or have you forgotten that he's the one who vaporized Medusa?'**

Jason, Piper and Leo's eyes widened.

"You did what?" Jason yelped.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, on my first quest when I was twelve."

Their jaws dropped. During all the months they had been at camp, they still knew practically nothing about Percy. Everyone was too sad to say anything. They did, however, know that everyone considered him to be the greatest hero who ever lived.

And considering all that they had found out in just one chapter, it wasn't so hard to believe anymore.

**Percy stepped back. Six more inches, and he'd be tumbling through thin air. 'Look, ladies, we've been over this. I don't even remember killing Medusa. I don't remember anything! Can't we just call a truce and talk about your weekly specials?'**

Annabeth snorted. Seaweed Brain.

**Stheno gave her sister a pouty look, which was hard to do with giant bronze tusks. 'Can we?'**

More laughter. They had to admit, Stheno was the nicest monster they ever met.

**'No!' Euryale's red eyes bored into Percy. 'I don't care what you remember, son of the sea god. I can smell Medusa's blood on you. It's faint, yes, several years old, but you were the last one to defeat her. She still has not returned from Tartarus. It's your fault!'**

**Percy didn't really get that.**

**The whole 'dying then returning from Tartarus' concept gave him a headache.**

Leo nodded in mock sympathy. "Me too man, me too."

Piper slapped him on the arm.

**Of course, so did the idea that a ballpoint pen could turn into a sword, or that monsters could disguise themselves with something called the Mist, or that Percy was the son of some barnacle-encrusted god from five thousand years ago.**

Poseidon looked offended while the other Gods laughed. Athena and Zeus the loudest. Percy looked at his dad with apologetic eyes, causing him to smile at his favorite son.

**But he did believe it. Even though his memory was erased, he knew he was a demigod the same way he knew his name was Percy Jackson. From his very first conversation with Lupa the wolf, he'd accepted that this crazy messed-up world of gods and monsters was his reality. Which pretty much sucked.**

The demigods nodded. It truly did suck.

**'How about we call it a draw?' he said. 'I can't kill you. You can't kill me. If you're Medusa's sisters – like the Medusa who turned people to stone – shouldn't I be petrified by now?'**

Annabeth shook her head. "Seaweed Brain." Percy smiled at her, not at all embarrassed.

**'Heroes!' Euryale said with disgust. 'They always bring that up, just like our mother! "Why can't you turn people to stone? Your sister can turn people to stone." Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, boy! That was Medusa's curse alone. She was the most hideous one in the family. She got all the luck!'**

**Stheno looked hurt. 'Mother said I was the most hideous.'**

More laughter.

**'Quiet!' Euryale snapped. 'As for you, Percy Jackson, it's true you bear the mark of Achilles.**

The trio gasped. He did what?!

**That makes you a little tougher to kill. But don't worry. We'll find a way.'**

**'The mark of what?'**

**'Achilles,' Stheno said cheerfully. 'Oh, he was gorgeous! Dipped in the River Styx as a child, you know, so he was invulnerable except for a tiny spot on his ankle. That's what happened to you, dear. Someone must've dumped you in the Styx and made your skin like iron. But not to worry. Heroes like you always have a weak spot. We just have to find it, and then we can kill you. Won't that be lovely? Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener!'**

**Percy tried to think. He didn't remember any dip in the Styx.**

Percy winced. If he didn't remember that, then his memory really was mostly gone. "I can't imagine not remembering that."

The other's looked at him in concern while Nico and Nick were pale. They could still hear Percy's screams echo in their heads when he touched the water.

**Then again, he didn't remember much of anything. His skin didn't feel like iron, but it would explain how he'd held out so long against the gorgons.**

**Maybe if he just fell down the mountain would he survive?**

Thalia looked down, along with Annabeth and Grover. Luke did.

**He didn't want to risk it – not without something to slow the fall, or a sled, or**

**He looked at Stheno's large silver platter of free samples.**

**Hmm**

Thalia and Annabeth's eyes widened. Annabeth's; because she knew how Percy's mind worked, and Thalia's; because he did something similar when he was with her and they were chased by a monster.

**'Reconsidering?' Stheno asked. 'Very wise, dear. I added some gorgon's blood to these, so your death will be quick and painless.'**

**Percy's throat constricted. 'You added your blood to the Cheese 'n' Wieners?'**

**'Just a little.' Stheno smiled. 'A tiny nick on my arm, but you're sweet to be concerned. Blood from our right side can cure anything, you know, but blood from our left side is deadly –'**

**'You dimwit!' Euryale screeched. 'You're not supposed to tell him that! He won't eat the wieners if you tell him they're poisoned!'**

**Stheno looked stunned. 'He won't? But I said it would be quick and painless.'**

"Yes that will make him eat them." Grover said sarcastically. He had been unnaturally quiet, along with Rachel, Paul and Sally, during the reading. They were, after all, surrounded by Gods. They were uncomfortable.

**'Never mind!' Euryale's fingernails grew into claws. 'We'll kill him the hard way – just keep slashing until we find the weak spot.** **Once we defeat Percy Jackson, we'll be more famous than Medusa! **

Jason looked at Percy. "Is it really such a big deal for them to kill you? They make it sound like you are the ultimate prize to all monsters."

Percy shrugged while Annabeth answered. "That's because he is." They looked at her in astonishment. "He defeated giants, Titans and two Gods. Along with several armies and the King Titan, Kronos. All monsters want him dead, more than they ever wanted anyone dead before. He is the ultimate prize." She looked terrified at the end of her explanation. Percy squeezed her hand, automatically making her relax. Rachel looked away from them, feeling her heart clench. She knew she never had a chance, but she couldn't help but fall for him.

The trio were looking at Percy with wide, amazed, eyes. He defeated Kronos? And two Gods? Wow.

Hades and Ares were grumbling in the background while Poseidon looked at his son proud, and worried. Sally, too, was looking at her son with worry. He had better be careful.

Paul was still looking at the Gods in amazement.

**Our patron will reward us greatly!'**

The Gods and the present demigods, stiffened. Their patron? It couldn't be Kronos, he was literally defeated just a few hours ago and won't return for some time. So who was it?

**Percy gripped his sword. He'd have to time his move perfectly – a few seconds of confusion, grab the platter with his left hand**

**Keep them talking, he thought.**

**'Before you slash me to bits,' he said, 'who's this patron you mentioned?'**

**Euryale sneered. 'The goddess Gaia, of course!**

They gasped. This was even worse than Kronos, as impossible as it seemed to be.

"What!" Zeus thundered, causing lightning to flash across the sky.

The futures looked at him in sadness. "The war against Kronos may have just ended," Nick said in his usual depressed voice, "but another war will soon begin."

The God looked like he wanted to question him some more but seemed to realize it would be useless.

They continued reading.

**The one who brought us back from oblivion! You won't live long enough to meet her, but your friends below will soon face her wrath. Even now, her armies are marching south. At the Feast of Fortuna, she'll awaken, and the demigods will be cut down like – like –'**

**'Like our low prices at Bargain Mart!' Stheno suggested.**

There were some weak chuckles, everyone still too shocked about Gaia to do anything more.

**'Gah!' Euryale stormed towards her sister. Percy took the opening. He grabbed Stheno's platter, scattering poisoned Cheese 'n' Wieners, and slashed Riptide across Euryale's waist, cutting her in half.**

Some Gods and the trio looked at Percy, impressed. Everyone else acted like it was nothing new.

**He raised the platter, and Stheno found herself facing her own greasy reflection.**

**'Medusa!' she screamed.**

They laughed.

**Her sister Euryale had crumbled to dust, but she was already starting to re-form, like a snowman un-melting.**

Annabeth raised her eyebrow at Percy, causing him to smile.

**'Stheno, you fool!' she gurgled as her half-made face rose from the mound of dust. 'That's just your own reflection! Get him!'**

**Percy slammed the metal tray on top of Stheno's head, and she passed out cold.**

Many of the Gods looked impressed, while Poseidon looked very proud. The demigods who knew Percy smiled, while Percy looked a little uncomfortable with the looks he was receiving.

**He put the platter behind his butt, said a silent prayer to whatever Roman god oversaw stupid sledding tricks and jumped off the side of the hill.**

"I believe," Apollo said with a dramatic swish of his hand, "that that would be me."

Hermes shoved him. "Wrong, that would be me."

They began to fight over who the God of stupid sledding tricks was until Artemis lost patience.

"Quiet!" They instantly stopped. "Now, Father would you continue."

"That was the end of the chapter." Zeus said.

Demeter reached for the book. "Well, we might as well read the next one then. I shall read it." She cleared her throat and turned the page. "Percy II."


	3. Percy II

**So sorry that it took so long for me to update. I'm trying not to draw attention to myself and have my story get deleted like it did before. Besides, I've been extremely preoccupied with my first semester of college. My first roommate turned out to be a bitch from hell who harassed me so badly with one of her friends one day that I had 3 anxiety attacks within 2 hours. Then my second roommate (cause I moved out) committed a felony and I had to give my statement to the police and everything. Yeah... great freshman year right?**

**Future Thalia – Thals**

**Future Annabeth – Anna**

**Future Nico – Nick **

**Future Percy (when I bring him in) – Perce**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. If I did, I would have made Percy completely badass, which is what will happen in this story.**

**THE THING ABOUT PLUMMETING DOWNHILL at fifty miles an hour on a snack platter—if you realize it's a bad idea when you're halfway down, it's too late.**

"No kidding." Thalia grumbled, remembering a similar situation. Percy smiled at her sheepishly.

**Percy narrowly missed a tree,** **glanced off a boulder,** **and spun a three-sixty as he shot toward the highway.**

The grips on Percy's hands grew tighter.

**The stupid snack tray did not have power steering.**

Leo looked excited. "That would be an awesome project! I am so going to make one when we get back." Anna glared at him so fiercely, he flinched. "I-I mean, after I finish the boat, of course."

"What boat?" Percy questioned.

The people from the future avoided looking at him, which told him it had to do with his disappearance.

**He heard the gorgon sisters screaming and caught a glimpse of Euryale's coral-snake hair at the top of the hill, but he didn't have time to worry about it. The roof of the****apartment****building loomed below him like the prow of a battleship. Head-on collision in ten, nine, eight…**

Sally grabbed Paul's hand, Poseidon looked as though he were about to hyperventilate, and the pressure on Percy's hands would have been unbearable if he didn't have the curse.

**He managed to swivel sideways to avoid breaking his legs on impact. The snack platter skittered across the roof and sailed through the air. The platter went one way. Percy went the other.**

Thalia marched up over to Percy, drawing all eyes to her. Percy's eyes grew wide when he realized what she was going to do. He was about to warn her against it, but it was too late. She drew back her arm and SMACK! Struck Percy right across the face.

"OW!" She yelled and clutched her hand to her chest. Percy hadn't even felt anything but he was feeling extremely guilty. Everyone but Grover, Nico, Nick, Thals, Annabeth, and Anna were looking at Thalia in shock and, in Poseidon, Sally and Paul's case, anger.

"Thalia?" Jason spluttered, shocked to his core at what his sister did. "Why did you do that?"

Thalia glared at Percy and he looked at her with a sad and slightly sheepish smile. "If you get hurt Percy Jackson, so help me…" She left the threat hanging, but everyone got the gist. She started to march back to her seat, her injured hand still clutched to her chest, when Percy's strong hand gripped her arm. She glared at him, but he was unaffected (which shocked the trio). He gently took hold of her injured hand and tugged it away from her chest. He cradled her hand with one of his, while his other made a sort of flicking motion in the air. Instantaneously, water appeared from nowhere and surrounded his hand like a watery glove. He gently touched the water covered hand to her wrist. The water began to cover her injured hand, surrounding it with a liquid layer. When her hand was completely covered, the water glowed slightly. It only lasted for three seconds before it faded, leaving the water to drip off her hand.

Thalia looked at him with a grateful expression on her face. She experimentally moved her wrist around, checking for any signs of damage. Finding none, she grinned and went back to her seat.

Everyone who didn't know the extent of Percy's powers (which consisted of everyone but Poseidon, Sally, Grover, Annabeth/Anna, Nico/Nick, and Thalia/Thals) had their jaws to the floor. Poseidon looked at his son, extremely proud. Percy was by far his favorite child out of all the children he ever had. It wasn't just because he was the most powerful demigod in the world (and in his opinion, existence), but because of his kind heart. Who Percy truly was, was the reason he was his favorite.

Jason looked at Percy with astonishment and a twinge of jealousy. The only powers he had was summoning storms, creating lightning, and flying. It looked as though Percy Jackson had multiple powers, each one better than the last. He looked down. How was he supposed to replace Percy? He had been at Camp Half-Blood for eight months now, and he did not even gain a quarter of the respect the campers gave Percy.

**As he fell toward the highway, a horrible scenario flashed through his mind: his body smashing against an SUV's****windshield****, some annoyed commuter trying to push him off with the wipers.**_**Stupid sixteen-year-old kid falling from the sky! I'm late!**_

Percy smiled charmingly while everyone else burst out laughing.

"Only you, Percy, would think something like that when falling to your death." Annabeth said, her voice shaking with suppressed laughter. He just smiled at her.

**Miraculously, a gust of wind blew him to one side—**

Suspicious looks were thrown toward the God of the Skies who looked uncomfortable. Finally the staring became too much and he exploded.

"FINE! I don't hate the demigod and don't want him dead!" He yelled, shocking the whole room, especially Percy and Poseidon. "Besides," he continued on a softer note, "Poseidon would kill me if I let him die like that." Poseidon smiled at his little brother, grateful.

**just enough to miss the highway and crash into a clump of bushes. It wasn't a soft landing, but it was better than asphalt.**

**Percy groaned. He wanted to lie there and pass out, but he had to keep moving.**

**He struggled to his feet. His hands were scratched up, but no****bones****seemed to be broken. He still had his backpack. Somewhere on the sled ride he'd lost his sword, but Percy knew it would eventually reappear in his pocket in pen form. That was part of its magic.**

Leo, Piper and Jason's mouths hung open.

"That," Leo said, still gaping, "is _way_ cooler than your sword Jason."

Jason nodded, though inside he felt bitter.

**He glanced up the hill. The gorgons were hard to miss, with their colorful snake hair and their bright green****Bargain****Mart vests. They were picking their way down the slope, going slower than Percy but with a lot more control. Those chicken feet must've been good for climbing.**

Thalia rolled her eyes. "No duh, Kelp Head."

**Percy figured he had maybe five minutes before they reached him. Next to him, a tall chain-link fence separated the highway from a neighborhood of winding streets, cozy houses, and tall eucalyptus trees. The fence was probably there to keep people from getting onto the highway and doing stupid things—like sledding into the fast lane on snack trays—but the chain-link was full of big holes. Percy could easily slip through into the neighborhood. Maybe he could find a car and drive west to the ocean. He didn't like stealing cars,** **but over the past few weeks, in life-and-death situations, he'd "borrowed" several, including a police cruiser.**

Hermes and Apollo gave him a thumbs up, huge grins on their faces.

**He'd meant to return them, but they never seemed to last very long.**

Anna snorted quietly. "That is because you are not a great driver." Percy gave her a fake offended look while Rachel nodded in agreement.

**He glanced east. Just as he'd figured, a hundred yards uphill the highway cut through the base of the cliff. Two tunnel entrances, one for each direction of traffic, stared down at him like eye sockets of a giant skull.**

**In the middle, where the nose would have been, a cement wall jutted from the hillside, with a metal door like the entrance to a bunker.**

Jason's eyes grew wide. "That's it!" He shouted, startling several people. "That is the entrance to camp!"

The Greeks looked at Percy, worried. After all, he was going into unfamiliar territory with Romans, who would kill him if they ever discovered his true heritage.

**It might have been a maintenance tunnel. That's probably what mortals thought, if they noticed the door at all. But they couldn't see through the Mist. Percy knew the door was more than that. Two kids in armor flanked the entrance. They wore a bizarre mix of plumed Roman helmets, breastplates, scabbards, blue jeans, purple T-shirts, and white athletic shoes.**

Jason looked excited. He could finally hear about his camp and how it was during his absence. He was also wondering who the two guards were and if he knew them.

**The guard on the right looked like a girl, though it was hard to tell for sure with all the armor. The one on the left was a stocky guy with a bow and quiver on his back. Both kids held long wooden staffs with iron spear tips, like old-fashioned harpoons.**

The demigods, Hermes and Apollo snorted. They loved Percy's thoughts!

**Percy's internal radar was pinging like crazy. After so many horrible days, he'd finally reached his goal. His instincts told him that if he could make it inside that door, he might find safety for the first time since the wolves had sent him south.**

Anna and Annabeth gripped his hands tighter.

**So why did he feel such dread?**

Anna looked down. "Because you are in enemy territory." She spoke softly so only Percy and Annabeth could hear her. Annabeth stiffened.

**Farther up the hill, the gorgons were scrambling over the roof of the apartment complex. Three minutes away—maybe less.**

Poseidon started to count in his head, trying to calm himself down.

**Part of him wanted to run to the door in the hill. He'd have to cross to the median of the highway, but then it would be a short sprint. He could make it before the gorgons reached him.**

**Part of him wanted to head west to the ocean. That's where he'd be safest. That's where his power would be greatest. Those Roman guards at the door made him uneasy. Something inside him said:**_**This isn't my territory. This is dangerous.**_

Sally held in tears of worry. She hadn't seen her baby in eight months and was out of her mind with worry.

**"You're right, of course," said a voice next to him. Percy jumped. At first he thought Beano had managed to sneak up on him again, but the old lady sitting in the bushes was even more repulsive than a gorgon.**

Aphrodite gasped. "How can anyone be more horrible than her?!"

**She looked like a hippie who'd been kicked to the side of the road maybe forty years ago, where she'd been collecting trash and rags ever since. She wore a dress made of tie-dyed cloth, ripped-up quilts, and plastic grocery bags. Her frizzy mop of hair was gray-brown, like root-beer foam, tied back with a peace-sign headband. Warts and moles covered her face. When she smiled, she showed exactly three teeth.**

Everyone in the room looked utterly disgusted. She did sound more repulsive.

**"It isn't a maintenance tunnel," she confided. "It's the entrance to camp." A jolt went up Percy's spine.**_**Camp.**_**Yes, that's where he was from. A camp. Maybe this was his home. Maybe Annabeth was close by.**

Anna sobbed quietly, causing Percy to put his arm around her.

**But something felt wrong. The gorgons were still on the roof of the apartment building. Then Stheno shrieked in delight and pointed in Percy's direction. The old hippie lady raised her eyebrows. "Not much time, child. You need to make your choice." **

**Percy glared at the floor. More choices…**

**"Who are you?" Percy asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The last thing he needed was another harmless mortal who turned out to be a monster.**

**"Oh, you can call me June."**

Everyone who understood (the Gods and Annabeth/Anna) gasped.

"It's you Hera." Zeus said, shocked. His wife never interfered with demigods, except for rare occurrences. Aphrodite was looking at Hera with horror on her face. How could her mother let herself look like that?!

The demigods, upon realizing it was Hera, glared at her. Anna's glare was the worst.

Hera sat stiffly in her throne, glaring at the demigods. "Read." She spat at Demeter.

**The old lady's eyes sparkled as if she'd made an excellent joke. "It**_**is**_**June, isn't it? They named the month after me!" **

**"Okay…Look, I should go. Two gorgons are coming. I don't want them to hurt you." **

Annabeth and Anna both grumbled under their breath. He shouldn't care.

**June clasped her hands over her heart. "How sweet! But that's part of your choice!"**

"**My choice…" Percy glanced nervously toward the hill. The gorgons had taken off their green vests. Wings sprouted from their backs—small bat wings, which glinted like brass. Since when did they have**_**wings**_**?**

**Maybe they were ornamental. Maybe they were too small to get a gorgon into the air.**

Thals looked at him with a _Really? _look. He shrugged.

**Then the two sisters leaped off the apartment building and soared toward him.**_**Great. Just great.**_**"Yes, a choice," June said, as if she were in no hurry. "You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons and go to the ocean. You'd make it there safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future." Percy was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the second option.**

Annabeth sighed. "You won't do it." Anna, Thalia/Thals, Nico/Nick, Grover, Sally and Poseidon nodded in agreement. Percy's face reddened.

"How do you know?" Piper asked, confused.

"**Or?" "Or you could do a good deed for an old lady," she said. "Carry me to the camp with you." "Carry you?" Percy hoped she was kidding. Then June hiked up her skirts and showed him her swollen purple feet. **

"Ew!" Aphrodite and Piper yelled. Piper's face reddened when Jason and Leo smirked at her. Aphrodite smiled at her daughter.

**"I can't get there by myself," she said. "Carry me to camp—across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river." Percy didn't know what river she meant, but it didn't sound easy.**

**June looked pretty heavy. The gorgons were only fifty yards away now—leisurely gliding toward him as if they knew the hunt was almost over. Percy looked at the old lady. "And I'd carry you to this camp because—?" "Because it's a kindness!" she said. "And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you wouldn't remember them, so I suppose it won't matter. You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea.…" Percy swallowed.**

Percy looked down. Great. He just got done with a war, one which he was in the middle of. It looked like he was going to be in the center of this one as well.

**The gorgons shrieked with laughter as they soared in for the kill. "If I go to the camp," he said, "will I get my memory back?""Eventually," June said. "But be warned, you will sacrifice much! You'll lose the mark of Achilles. **

The demigods gasped. "What?!" They yelled. That was supposed to be impossible!

Nico/Nick were the ones who were the most upset. They spent a year convincing Percy to take the curse, and he will now lose it?

Nico glared at Percy, making him confused. "I spent a year, A YEAR, trying to convince you to dip in the Styx, and you are going to waste it without a thought?!" He yelled, frustrated. Percy and several others laughed while both Nicos steamed.

**You'll feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you've ever known.**

Percy gulped as everyone shot him looks filled with concern. Great, just great.

**But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life."**

Percy sighed. "Yep, I'm going to do it."

Tears leaked out of Annabeth's eyes. She rested her head on his shoulder, causing him to freeze for a second before he relaxed.

**The gorgons were circling right overhead. They were probably studying the old woman, trying to figure out who the new player was before they struck. "What about those guards at the door?" Percy asked. June smiled. "Oh, they'll let you in, dear. You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenseless old woman?" Percy doubted June was defenseless.**

Everyone snorted.

**At worst, this was a trap. At best, it was some kind of test. Percy hated tests.**

Percy nodded in agreement with himself, earning him some laughs.

**Since he'd lost his memory, his whole life was one big fill in-the-blank. He was_, from_. He felt like_, and if the monsters caught him, he'd be_.**

Laughter echoed in the chamber.

"Oh, let me fill in the blanks." Hermes laughed. He sobered down long enough to say, "He was Percy Jackson, from Camp Half-Blood. He felt like shit, and if the monsters caught him, he'd be -!" He was cut off when Artemis shot an arrow that imbedded itself in his throne, three centimeters away from his head. He shut up. The demigods laughed at Hermes. Thalia and Thals smiled at their Lady, who smiled back.

**Then he thought about Annabeth, the only part of his old life he was sure about.**

"Awww." Aphrodite, Thalia, Thals, Nico, Nick and Grover cooed. The last five mockingly. Percy and Annabeth blushed. Anna simply smiled softly. She loved him so much.

**He**_**had**_**to find her. "I'll carry you." He scooped up the old woman. She was lighter than he expected. Percy tried to ignore her sour breath and her calloused hands clinging to his neck. He made it across the first lane of traffic. A driver honked. Another yelled something that was lost in the wind.**

**Most just swerved and looked irritated, as if they had to deal with a lot of ratty teenagers carrying old hippie women across the freeway here in Berkeley.**

Jason, Leo and Piper snorted. Who knew that the 'kickass leader' was this funny?

**A shadow fell over him.**, **Stheno called down gleefully, "Clever boy! Found a goddess to carry, did you?" A goddess? June cackled with delight, muttering, and "Whoops!" as a car almost killed them.**

Annabeth gritted her teeth while Anna glared at the Goddess. Sally glared too. For supposedly the 'Best Mother Ever', she cared little for anyone else. Including children. After all, she did throw Hephaestus off of Mount Olympus because he was ugly and didn't fit in with her 'Perfect' family. Paul grabbed her hand, causing Poseidon, who was watching her, to look down.

**Somewhere off to his left, Euryale screamed, "Get them! Two prizes are better than one!"**

**Percy bolted across the remaining lanes. Somehow he made it to the median alive. He saw the gorgons swooping down, cars swerving as the monsters passed overhead. He wondered what the mortals saw through the Mist—giant pelicans?**

Snorts were heard.

**Off course hang gliders? The wolf Lupa had told him that mortal minds could believe just about anything—except the truth. Percy ran for the door in the hillside. June got heavier with every step. Percy's heart pounded. His ribs ached. One of the guards yelled. The guy with the bow nocked an arrow. Percy shouted, "Wait!" But the boy wasn't aiming at him. The arrow flew over Percy's head. A gorgon wailed in pain. The second guard readied her spear, gesturing frantically at Percy to hurry.**

**Fifty feet from the door. Thirty feet. "Gotcha!" shrieked Euryale. Percy turned as an arrow thudded into her forehead. **

"Nice shot." Ares said appreciatively.

**Euryale tumbled into the fast lane. A truck slammed into her and carried her backward a hundred yards, but she just climbed over the cab, pulled the arrow out of her head, and launched back into the air. Percy reached the door. "Thanks," he told the guards. "Good shot." "That should've killed her!" the archer protested. "Welcome to my world," Percy muttered. "Frank,"**

Ares looked thoughtful. He had a son named Frank in his Roman form who he hadn't claimed yet. Maybe…

**the girl said. "Get them inside, quick! Those are gorgons."**

**"Gorgons?" The archer's voice squeaked. It was hard to tell much about him under the helmet, but he looked stout like a wrestler, maybe fourteen or fifteen. "Will the door hold them?" In Percy's arms, June cackled. "No, no it won't. Onward, Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!" "Percy Jackson?" The female guard was darker-skinned, with curly hair sticking out the sides of her helmet. She looked younger than Frank—maybe thirteen.**

Hades frowned. That description sounded familiar to him…

Nico shifted. Nick looked at Annabeth, terrified for his life. She was going to kill him.

**Her sword scabbard came down almost to her ankle. Still, she sounded like she was the one in charge. "Okay, you're obviously a demigod. But who's the—?" She glanced at June. "Never mind. Just get inside. I'll hold them off." "Hazel," the boy said.**

Hades eyes widened. Impossible…

Nick swallowed a lump that grew in his throat. They will find out soon. He wondered how his father would take it.

"**Don't be crazy." "Go!" she demanded. Frank cursed in another language— was that Latin?—and opened the door.**

Jason shrugged. "Latin is to us, what Greek is to you."

The ones who didn't understand, nodded.

"**Come on!" Percy followed, staggering under the weight of the old lady, who was**_**definitely**_**getting heavier.**

**He didn't know how that girl Hazel would hold off the gorgons by herself, but he was too tired to argue. The tunnel cut through solid rock, about the width and height of a school hallway. At first, it looked like a typical maintenance tunnel, with electric cables, warning signs, and fuse boxes on the walls, light bulbs in wire cages along the ceiling. As they ran deeper into the hillside, the cement floor changed to tiled mosaic. The lights changed to reed torches, which burned but didn't smoke. A few hundred yards ahead, Percy saw a square of daylight. The old lady was heavier now than a pile of sandbags. Percy's arms shook from the strain. June mumbled a song in Latin, like a lullaby, which didn't help Percy concentrate.**

Anna glared at Hera. She was making herself heavier for some reason.

**Behind them, the gorgons' voices echoed in the tunnel. Hazel shouted. Percy was tempted to dump June and runback to help,**

Hera glared at Percy who stared at her impassively. She looked away.

**but then the entire tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone. There was a squawking sound, just like the gorgons had made when Percy had dropped a crate of bowling balls on them in Napa.**

**He glanced back. The west end of the tunnel was now filled with dust. "Shouldn't we check on Hazel?" he asked. "She'll be okay—I hope," Frank said. "She's good underground.**

Hades just kept getting more and more proof. But that was impossible. She was dead. So how?

**Just keep moving! We're almost there.""Almost where?"June chuckled. "All roads lead there, child. You should know that."**

"Detention?" Percy, Thalia and Nico said, causing the others to laugh at the cousins. They all blushed.

**"Detention?" Percy asked.**

More laughter.

"You are definitely your father's son." Hestia said fondly. Percy smiled warmly at her. She was, by far, his favorite Goddess. His favorite God, of course, was his dad. Not because he was his dad, though that helped, it was because he was the one God who didn't try and make demigod's lives harder than they already were.

Poseidon beamed at his favorite sister and son.

"**Rome, child," the old woman said. "Rome." Percy wasn't sure he'd heard her right. True, his memory was gone. His brain hadn't felt right since he had woken up at the Wolf House. But he was pretty sure Rome wasn't in California.**

Thals rolled her head. She missed Kelp Head. More than she would ever admit.

**They kept running. The glow at the end of the tunnel grew brighter, and finally they burst into sunlight. Percy froze. Spread out at his feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains, and stretches of forest. A small clear river cut a winding course from a lake in the center and around the perimeter, like a capital G. The geography could've been anywhere in northern California—live oaks and eucalyptus trees, gold hills and blue skies. That big inland mountain—what was it called, Mount Diablo?—rose in the distance, right where it should be. But Percy felt like he'd stepped into a secret world.**

**In the center of the valley, nestled by the lake, was a small city of white marble buildings with red-tiled roofs. Some had domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others looked like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. He could see an open plaza with freestanding columns, fountains, and statues. A five-story-tall Roman coliseum gleamed in the sun, next to a long oval arena like a racetrack. Across the lake to the south, another hill was dotted with even more impressive buildings—temples, Percy guessed. Several stone bridges crossed the river as it wound through the valley, and in the north, a long line of brickwork arches stretched from the hills into the town. Percy thought it looked like an elevated train track. Then he realized it must be an aqueduct. The strangest part of the valley was right below him. About two hundred yards away, just across the river, was some sort of military encampment. It was about a quarter mile square, with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops lined with sharpened spikes. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes.**

**Wooden watchtowers rose at each corner, manned by sentries with oversized, mounted crossbows. Purple banners hung from the towers. A wide gateway opened on the far side of camp, leading toward the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverbank side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity: dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons, polishing armor. Percy heard the clank of hammers at a forge and smelled meat cooking over a fire. Something about this place felt very familiar, yet not quite right. **

"That sounds beautiful." Piper sighed. The demigods nodded, all smiling from the image. Though Camp Half-Blood would always be their home.

**"Camp Jupiter,"**

Percy spoke. "Isn't it weird that both camps' titles have to do with Zeus in one way or another." He received raised eyebrows and elaborated. "Camp Jupiter – Jupiter is Zeus' Roman name. Camp Half-Blood – named after Thalia, daughter of Zeus."

The others blinked, not having realized this before. Mr. D was just grumbling about how both camps were filled with brats so it shouldn't matter what they were named.

Everyone ignored him.

**Frank said. "We'll be safe once—" Footsteps echoed in the tunnel behind them. Hazel burst into the light. She was covered with stone dust and breathing hard. She'd lost her helmet, so her curly brown hair fell around her shoulders. Her armor had long slash marks in front from the claws of a gorgon. One of the monsters had tagged her with a 50% off sticker.**

"Hm," Hermes pondered, "I wonder if anyone can buy her now?"

Athena shot him a look, silencing him immediately.

"**I slowed them down," she said. "But they'll be here any second." Frank cursed. "We have to get across the river." June squeezed Percy's neck tighter. "Oh, yes, please. I can't get my dress wet."**

The Queen of the Gods received more glares.

**Percy bit his tongue. If this lady was a goddess, she must've been the goddess of smelly, heavy, useless hippies.**

Hera looked about ready to explode while the demigods laughed. Before she could do anything, Demeter hurried on reading.

**But he'd come this far. He'd better keep lugging her along.**_**It's a kindness, **_**she'd said.**_**And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know ill perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. **_**If this was a test, he couldn't afford to get an F. He stumbled a few times as they ran for the river. Frank and Hazel kept him on his feet. They reached the riverbank, and Percy stopped to catch his breath. The current was fast, but the river didn't look deep. Only a stone's throw across stood the gates of the fort. "Go, Hazel." Frank nocked two arrows at once. "Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him.**

Sally looked really worried now. Along with all demigods, including Piper, Leo and Jason. He sounded like a great guy, they didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

**It's my turn to hold off the baddies." Hazel nodded and waded into the stream. Percy started to follow, but something made him hesitated. Usually he loved the water, but this river seemed…powerful, and not necessarily friendly. "The Little Tiber," said June sympathetically. "It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away."**

Nico and Nick huffed. A whole freaking year! Wasted!

**Percy was too exhausted to understand all that, but he got the main point. "If I cross, I won't have iron skin anymore?" June smiled. "So what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?" Behind him, the gorgons screeched as they flew from the tunnel. Frank let his arrows fly. From the middle of the river, Hazel yelled, "Percy, come on!" Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swiveled their crossbows toward the gorgons. Annabeth, Percy thought. **

Anna and Annabeth both smiled. They were his strength. Just like he was theirs.

**He forged into the river. It was icy cold, much swifter than he'd imagined, but that didn't bother him. New strength surged through his limbs. His senses tingled like he'd been injected with caffeine. **

Jason looked at him with wide eyes, along with Piper and Leo. "You get energy just by getting wet?"

Percy nodded and shrugged.

Leo looked at him in awe. "That is seriously cool dude."

**He reached the other side and put the old woman down as the camp's gates opened. Dozens of kids in armor poured out.**

**Hazel turned with a relieved smile. Then she looked over Percy's shoulder, and her expression changed to horror. "Frank!" Frank was halfway across the river when the gorgons caught him. **

Gasps erupted around the room.

**They swooped out of the sky and grabbed him by either arm. He screamed in pain as their claws dug into his skin. The sentries yelled, but Percy knew they couldn't get a clear shot. They'd end up killing Frank. The other kids drew swords and got ready to charge into the water, but they'd be too late. There was only one way. **

The ones who knew Percy smiled. Here comes ass-kicking Percy!

**Percy thrust out his hands. An intense tugging sensation filled his gut, and the Tiber obeyed his will. The river surged. Whirlpools formed on either side of Frank.**

**Giant watery hands erupted from the stream, copying Percy's movements.**

Jason, Piper, Leo, Paul and Rachel's mouths hung open, their eyes wide as they looked at Percy. How powerful was he?!

**The giant hands grabbed the gorgons, who dropped Frank in surprise. Then the hands lifted the squawking monsters in a liquid vise grip. Percy heard the other kids yelping and backing away, but he stayed focused on his task.**

Poseidon winced, knowing his son would be treated poorly at the camp. The Romans never did like Neptune.

**He made a smashing gesture with his fists, and the giant hands plunged the gorgons into the Tiber. The monsters hit bottom and broke into dust. Glittering clouds of gorgon essence struggled to re-form, but the river pulled them apart like a blender. Soon every trace of the gorgons was swept downstream. The whirlpools vanished, and the current returned to normal.**

Hermes and Apollo whooped.

**Percy stood on the riverbank. His clothes and his skin steamed as if the Tiber's waters had given him an acid bath He felt exposed, raw…vulnerable.**

Percy flinched. Even though he only had the curse for a very short time, he had already gotten used to the feeling of being indestructible. He hated that he would lose that.

**In the middle of the Tiber, Frank stumbled around, looking stunned but perfectly fine. Hazel waded out and helped him ashore. Only then did Percy realize how quiet the other kids had become. Everyone was staring at him. **

Grover laughed. "Just like your first capture the flag, eh Percy?"

Percy, Annabeth and Anna laughed.

**Only the old lady June looked unfazed. "Well, that was a lovely trip," she said. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter." One of the girls made a choking sound. "Percy…Jackson?" She sounded as if she recognized his name.**

Percy looked confused. He didn't know any Romans, did he?

**Percy focused on her, hoping to see a familiar face. She was obviously a leader. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armor. Her chest was decorated with medals. She must have been about Percy's age, with dark, piercing eyes and long black hair.**

He shook his head at the looks he was given. She didn't seem familiar.

Jason, however, felt a spark of recognition.

**Percy didn't recognize her, but the girl stared at him as if she'd seen him in her nightmares. June laughed with delight. "Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!" Then, just because the day hadn't been weird enough already, the old lady began to glow and change form.**

**She grew until she was a shining, seven-foot-tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat's skin over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately. In her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower.**

**If it was possible for the campers to look more stunned, they did. The girl with the purple cloak knelt. The others followed her lead. One kid got down so hastily he almost impaled himself on his sword.**

Leo snorted.

**Hazel was the first to speak. "Juno." She and Frank also fell to their knees, leaving Percy the only one standing. He knew he should probably kneel too, but after carrying the old lady so far, he didn't feel like showing her that much respect.**

Jason, Leo and Piper looked at him, astonished. They were even more baffled when they saw the Gods looked unsurprised. Was Percy Jackson usually this disrespectful to Gods? If he was, how was he still alive?

"**Juno, huh?" he said. "If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?" The goddess smiled. "In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet." She turned to the other kids. "Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been slumbering, but now he is awake. His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle.**

Uneasy looks were passed around the room. What did Hera mean by 'Death must be unleashed'? Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.

**Do not fail me!" Juno shimmered and disappeared. Percy looked at Hazel and Frank for some kind of explanation, but they seemed just as confused as he was. Frank was holding something Percy hadn't noticed before— two small clay flasks with cork stoppers, like potions, one in each hand.**

"Gorgon blood." Athena stated. Anna frowned at the book. He better give those to Percy. He won them after all. Plus, they could help him get his memory back.

**Percy had no idea where they'd come from, but he saw Frank slip them into his pockets. Frank gave him a look like:**_**We'll talk about it later.**_**The girl in the purple cloak stepped forward. She examined Percy warily, and Percy couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to run him through with her dagger. "So," she said coldly, "a son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno." "Look," he said, "my memory's a little fuzzy. Um, it's**_**gone**_**, actually. Do I know you?" The girl hesitated. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion.**

Jason smiled. It was Reyna. "I know her." He told the others.

**And…no, I don't know you." That last part was a lie. Percy could tell from her eyes.**

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other in confusion. Chance was, if she did meet Percy before, then she probably met Annabeth.

**But he also understood that if he argued with her about it here, in front of her soldiers, she wouldn't appreciate it. "Hazel," said Reyna, "bring him inside. I want to question him at the**_**principia**_**. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him."**

The non-gods, besides Poseidon, stiffened. What did she mean by that?

"**What do you mean," Percy asked, "'decide what to do with' me?"**

**Reyna's hand tightened on her dagger. Obviously she was not used to having her orders questioned. "Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us as a new recruit.…" Reyna studied Percy as if she found that doubtful. "Or," she said more hopefully, "if she's brought us an enemy to kill."**

Before anyone could ponder that sentence, Anna had her dagger at Jason's neck. "Promise me," She growled, pushing the dagger further into his neck, almost cutting it. "Promise me that they won't hurt him."

Jason tried to edge away from the dagger, without success. "I don't know." She dug her dagger deeper, causing a drop of blood to leak out. Before she could do anything more, her dagger was ripped forcefully from her hand. Only one person could get her weapon away from her. She spun around and came face to face with a calm Percy. She tried to grab her dagger back, but Percy was ready for that. He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back and held her to his chest, his arm wrapped around her stomach and other arm, restricting her movements. She was not uncomfortable though. Percy would never do that to her. He was always aware how much strength he used in training and in moments like this. He leaned his head down until his lips touched her ear, causing her to shiver.

"You need to calm down Wise Girl." She instantly deflated at the use of his nickname for her. She hadn't heard it in eight months. She calmed down and stopped struggling, letting Percy lead her back to the couch they just vacated. They sat in the exact same position as before, her head resting on his shoulder while he held both Annabeths hands. She felt guilt seep into her stomach when she noticed Jason was rubbing his throat and small flecks of blood coated his fingers. He smiled at her, letting her know all was forgiven. She sighed into Percy's shoulder, inhaling his ocean scent. She always loved the way he smelled.

Zeus cleared his throat, bringing her back to reality and the realization that everyone had been looking at her. Anna blushed.

"Now then," Zeus looked a little uncomfortable, but he continued. "I believe that was the end of the chapter?" He asked Demeter, who nodded in confirmation. "Then who would like to read next?"

Athena raised her hand, earning her a few shocked looks. She rolled her eyes. "Just give me the book." Demeter handed the book to her and she flipped to the right page. She cleared her throat and began. "Percy III."


	4. Percy III

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson**

**"PERCY WASN'T SCARED OF GHOSTS, which was lucky." **Athena read.

Anna snorted, drawing attention to herself. "Of course you aren't afraid of ghosts. You've been to the Underworld how many times? 5?"

The only ones surprised were Jason, Piper, Leo, and Rachel. They never heard of someone, who wasn't a child of Hades, that had been down there that many times and lived.

**Half the people in camp were dead.**

"Nice place." Thals commented with a raised eyebrow. Jason blushed.  
**Shimmering purple warriors stood outside the armory, polishing ethereal swords. Others hung out in front of the barracks. A ghostly boy chased a ghostly dog down the street. And at the stables, a big glowing red dude with the head of a wolf guarded a herd of…Were those unicorns?**

"Unicorns?" Nico sounded disgusted. "I thought Romans were tough?"

The 'Roman' glared at him.

**None of the campers paid the ghosts much attention, but as Percy's entourage walked by, with Reyna in the lead and Frank and Hazel on either side, all the spirits stopped what they were doing and stared at Percy. **

Nick's lips quirked a tiny bit. They would definitely know about Percy.

**A few looked angry. The little boy ghost shrieked something like "Greggus!" and turned invisible.**

Annabeth's eyes scrunched in thought. "Graecus? Greek?" She asked Jason who nodded.

**Percy wished he could turn invisible too.**

Annabeth smirked at him, causing him to roll his eyes. Anna saw and had to look away, clutching the small object even tighter. She dearly wished she could put it on…

**After weeks on his own, all this attention made him uneasy. **

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Kelp-head, attention always made you uneasy."

He shrugged, accepting her words because they were true. He never was quite comfortable with attention.

Athena rolled her eyes.

**He stayed between Hazel and Frank and tried to look inconspicuous. "Am I seeing things?" he asked. "Or are those—" **

**"Ghosts?" Hazel turned. She had startling eyes, like fourteen-karat gold. "They're Lares. House gods." **

**"House gods," Percy said. **

Anna gave a small smirk. "You're going to say something stupid to lighten the mood, aren't you?"

A light blush appeared on his cheeks. He refused to look at her which made her chuckle lightly.

Thals gave a small smile. "That is something you would do."

**"Like…smaller than real gods, but larger than apartment gods?"**

Everyone laughed at how right the two girls were. Percy's blush darkened.

Annabeth punched his shoulder lightly with a grin. She would never tell him this but she loved how effective he was at lightening the mood with just a few words. All the while making it seem accidental when she knew it was not. That was the reason so many people thought Percy was not smart, even though he was actually really bright.

She would never tell him this though.

"**They're ancestral spirits," Frank explained. He'd removed his helmet, revealing a babyish face that didn't go with his military haircut or his big burly frame. **

Jason shook his head at the glances thrown his way. "I don't remember him. He's probably new."

**He looked like a toddler who'd taken steroids and joined the Marines. "The Lares are kind of like mascots," he continued. "Mostly they're harmless, but I've never seen them so agitated." **

Nico rolled his eyes. "Only Percy can agitate ghosts just by showing up." Hades grumbled at the true statement. Percy just shrugged.

**"They're staring at me," Percy said. "That ghost kid called me Greggus. My name isn't Greg."**

"You did it again." Thalia smiled. Even though she now knew Jason, her full brother, was alive, she still loved Percy like a younger brother. He was the only one who knew her greatest fear and secret. She trusted him with her life, and that is not something she trusts to just anybody. 

**"**_**Graecus," **_**Hazel said. "Once you've been here awhile, you'll start understanding Latin. Demigods have a natural sense for it. **_**Graecus **_**means Greek."**  
"**Is that bad?" Percy asked. Frank cleared his throat. **

**"Maybe not. You've got that type of complexion, the dark hair and all. Maybe they think you're actually Greek. Is your family from there?" **

"Maybe." Poseidon smiled, ignoring the irritated glare Athena through his way. He winked at Percy, who smiled.

**"Don't know. Like I said, my memory is gone." **

**"Or maybe…" Frank hesitated. **

Grover's eyebrow rose. "I don't think he could figure it out that fast."

**"What?" Percy asked. **

**"Probably nothing," Frank said. "Romans and Greeks have an old rivalry. Sometimes Romans use **_**graecus **_**as an insult for someone who's an outsider—an enemy.**

The so-called graecus scowled darkly.

**I wouldn't worry about it." He sounded pretty worried. **

**They stopped at the center of camp, where two wide stone-paved roads met at a T. A street sign labeled the road to the main gates as via praetoria. The other road, cutting across the middle of camp, was labeled via principalis. Under those markers were hand-painted signs like Berkeley 5 miles; NEW ROME 1 MILE; OLD ROME 7280 MILES; HADES 2310 MILES (pointing straight down)** **; RENO 208 MILES, AND CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE!**

The "children" laughed while the "adults" looked amused.

**For certain death, the place looked pretty clean and orderly. The buildings were freshly whitewashed, laid out in neat grids like the camp had been designed by a fussy math teacher. The barracks had shady porches, where campers lounged in hammocks or played cards and drank sodas. Each dorm had a different collection of banners out front displaying Roman numerals and various animals—eagle, bear, wolf, horse, and something that looked like a hamster. Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals. A chariot dealership had a big advertisement out front: CAESAR XLS W/ANTILOCK BRAKES, NO DENARII DOWN! At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building—a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank.**  
**Roman guards stood out front. Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.**

"Wow." The Greeks whispered. Jason smiled smugly.

"**Your headquarters?" Percy asked. **

**Reyna faced him, her eyes still cold and hostile. "It's called the **_**principia."**_** She scanned the mob of curious campers who had followed them from the river. "Everyone back to your duties. I'll give you an update at evening muster. Remember, we have war games after dinner." **

"War games?" Percy asked. Jason nodded.

"It's like capture the flag, just a little different."

Nick had to restrain a snort. The war games were _very_ different to capture the flag.

**The thought of dinner made Percy's stomach rumble. The scent of barbecue from the dining hall made his mouth water. The bakery down the street smelled pretty wonderful too, but he doubted Reyna would let him get an order to go. The crowd dispersed reluctantly. Some muttered comments about Percy's chances. **

**"He's dead," said one. **

**"Would be **_**those **_**two who found him," said another. **

**"Yeah," muttered another. "Let him join the Fifth Cohort. Greeks and geeks."**

"Hey!" Jason shouted, glaring at the book as though the people in it could hear him. "_I_ was in the Fifth Cohort! What is wrong with it?"

**Several kids laughed at that, but Reyna scowled at them, and they cleared off. "Hazel," Reyna said. "Come with us. I want your report on what happened at the gates." **

**"Me too?" Frank said. "Percy saved my life. We've got to let him—" Reyna gave Frank such a harsh look, he stepped back. **

**"I'd remind you, Frank Zhang," she said, "you are on **_**probatio **_**yourself. You've caused enough trouble this week." Frank's ears turned red. He fiddled with a little tablet on a cord around his neck. Percy hadn't paid much attention to it, but it looked like a name tag made out of lead. **

**"Go to the armory," Reyna told him. "Check our inventory. I'll call you if I need you." **

**"But—" Frank caught himself. "Yes, Reyna." **

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Hey Jason?" He nodded at her to continue. "Does Reyna have a boyfriend?"

He looked at her warily while the others tried not to laugh at how that sounded. "Um, I don't think so… Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "She would make a good hunter, that's all."

Jason stiffened at the thought of Reyna becoming a hunter. Piper noticed and scowled at the floor.

**He hurried off.**  
**Reyna waved Hazel and Percy toward the headquarters. "Now, Percy Jackson, let's see if we can improve your memory." **

**The **_**principia **_**was even more impressive inside. On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under their adopted mama she-wolf (Lupa had told Percy that story a million times).**

"And you listened?" Annabeth asked in mock disbelief. Percy stuck his tongue out at her. Anna clutched the small object in her hand even tighter as she witnessed first-hand how she and Percy used to be. It hurt. It hurt a lot.  
**The floor was polished marble. The walls were draped in velvet, so Percy felt like he was inside the world's most expensive camping tent. And wooden poles studded with bronze. Along the back wall stood a display of banners medals—military symbols, Percy guessed.**  
**In the center was one empty display stand, as if the main banner had been taken down for cleaning or something. **

Jason raised an eyebrow. After everything everyone told him about Percy Jackson he assumed he would be a dense goofball with extreme stupidity, loyalty and bravery. He did not expect him to actually be observant and smart on the inside.

**In the back corner, a stairwell led down. It was blocked by a row of iron bars like a prison door. Percy wondered what was down there—monsters? Treasure? Amnesiac demigods who had gotten on Reyna's bad side?**

The room was filled with laughter again. Percy always could lighten up a room with just a stray thought.

**In the center of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans, which seemed kind of out of place.** **Two life-sized statues of greyhounds—one silver, one gold—flanked the table.**  
**Reyna walked behind the table and sat in one of two high-backed chairs. Percy wished he could sit in the other, but Hazel remained standing. Percy got the feeling he was supposed to also. "So…" he started to say. The dog statues bared their teeth and growled. Percy froze. Normally he liked dogs, but these glared at him with ruby eyes. Their fangs looked sharp as razors. **

**"Easy, guys," Reyna told the greyhounds. They stopped growling, but kept eyeing Percy as though they were imagining him in a doggie bag**

"**They won't attack," Reyna said, "unless you try to steal something, or unless I tell them to. That's Argentum and Aurum." **

**"Silver and Gold," Percy said. The Latin meanings popped into his head like Hazel had said they would. **

The Greeks scowled at the floor. The Latin meanings should not be popping into his head! He was Greek! They weren't going to let the Romans take the one person whom had affected them all.

**He almost asked which dog was which. Then he realized that that was a stupid question.**

"No, really Perce?" Nick asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Percy blushed and glared.

**Reyna set her dagger on the table. Percy had the vague feeling he'd seen her before.**

Percy's brow scrunched trying to remember a 'Reyna'. Annabeth too, had the feeling the name was familiar though she was having trouble placing it.  
**Her hair was black and glossy as volcanic rock, woven in a single braid down her back. She had the poise of a sword fighter—relaxed yet vigilant, as if ready to spring into action at any moment. The worry lines around her eyes made her look older than she probably was. "We **_**have **_**met," he decided. "I don't remember when. Please, if you can tell me anything—" **

**"First things first," Reyna said. "I want to hear your story. What **_**do **_**you remember? How did you get here? And don't lie. My dogs don't like liars." Argentum and Aurum snarled to emphasize the point.**

**Percy told his story—how he'd woken up at the ruined mansion in the woods of Sonoma. He described his time with Lupa and her pack, learning their language of gestures and expressions, learning to survive and fight. Lupa had taught him about demigods, monsters, and gods. She'd explained that she was one of the guardian spirits of Ancient Rome. Demigods like Percy were still responsible for carrying on Roman traditions in modern times—fighting monsters, serving the gods, protecting mortals, and upholding the memory of the empire. **

Thalia coughed. "Um, no offense, but it sounds like the Roman demigods aren't doing much." Jason glared at his sister. The Romans were the ones who destroyed Kronos' throne! He had to fight a Titan hand-to-hand! How was that not doing much?! Thalia, seeing her brother's glare sighed. "I mean think about it! They have a cozy little camp where they stay for pretty much their entire lives! They're brought there when they are young and trained but they never really leave! They stay in their safe little camp while we Greek demigods go out in the world and fight monsters on a daily basis just to survive! We don't have a safe haven like that! It just seems to me that for all their talk about how Romans are so much better than Greeks, they prefer to stay safe in a protected city where they can raise families without fear and we have to do all the fighting, surviving, protecting and serving that they were meant to do in the first place!"

Jason blinked in shock. When she put it like that it made the Romans seem like cowards compared to the Greeks. The Romans don't even go searching for other demigods themselves, they just rely on Lupa to do it which would be really hard for one person/wolf to handle.

Thalia was right.

**She'd spent weeks training him, until he was as strong and tough and vicious as a wolf.**

Anna winced and clenched her fist tighter, the small ring almost cutting into her palm. She hoped that her Percy hadn't changed too much. She loved him as he was; the ring was proof of that. She just wanted her Percy back so that he would keep the promise he made her.

Together Forever.

**When she was satisfied with his skills, she'd sent him south, telling him that if he survived the journey, he might find a new home and regain his memory. None of it seemed to surprise Reyna. In fact, she seemed to find it pretty ordinary—except for one thing."No memory at all?" she asked. "You **_**still **_**remember nothing?" **

**"Fuzzy bits and pieces." Percy glanced at the greyhounds. He didn't want to mention Annabeth.**

Annabeth and Anna both looked hurt, though Anna more so. Why wouldn't he want to mention her?

Percy flushed. He had an inkling on what his book-self was thinking…  
**It seemed too private, and he was still confused about where to find her. He was sure they'd met at a camp—but this one didn't feel like the right place.**  
**Also, he was reluctant to share his one clear memory: Annabeth's face, her blond hair and gray eyes, the way she laughed, threw her arms around him, and gave him a kiss whenever he did something stupid.**

Percy's and Annabeth's eyes widened. This was solid proof that they were dating in the future. The kiss Anna had given Percy upon arrival had only meant that something happened to Percy. After all, Annabeth had kissed Percy before when she thought he was going to die, yet they weren't dating. Yet.

Thalia, Nico and Grover had a different reaction though.

"YES!" The three jumped up, fists pumping in celebration as the five year long wait was over! They began to dance around the room yelling "finally" over and over while the others watched them in amusement, well, all except Athena who looked as though she swallowed a lemon. Percy and Annabeth blushed. They weren't that obvious, were they?

Jason, Leo and Piper looked at the three dancers with shock and bemusement. Just how obvious were Percy and Annabeth?

Poseidon was smiling, not in the least bit perturbed at the fact that it was Athena's favorite child his son is dating. Percy was happy with her, which was why he always approved of their friendship even though Athena still resented it.

Sally was smiling widely. Her baby boy was going to date the girl of his dreams! She had known they were perfect for each other ever since she first met Annabeth.

Aphrodite was beaming. Her favorite couple since Helen and Troy were finally together. Yay Percabeth!

**She must have kissed me a lot, Percy thought.**

The dancing teens finally stopped only to burst out laughing at Percy's thought.

"Tell me about it." Thals grumbled with a small smile on her face. "You couldn't go anywhere without seeing them making out! It was worse than Silena and Beckendorf!"

Percy and Annabeth paled. They were worse than _that_?!

Anna blushed and glared. "Hey!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and focused on the mostly silent Anna. "We had five years of pent up sexual tension so excuse me if we made out sometimes!"

Percy and Annabeth blushed so deep they looked like the Ares cabin. Everyone else laughed.

**He feared that if he spoke about that memory to anyone, it would evaporate like a dream. He couldn't risk that.**

Percy nodded slightly, still red from before. That was exactly what he had been thinking.

**Reyna spun her dagger. "Most of what you're describing is normal for demigods. At a certain age, one way or another, we find our way to the Wolf House. We're tested and trained. If Lupa thinks we're worthy, she sends us south to join the legion. But I've never heard of someone losing his memory. How did you find Camp Jupiter?" Percy told her about the last three days—the gorgons who wouldn't die, the old lady who turned out to be a goddess, and finally meeting Hazel and Frank at the tunnel in the hill. Hazel took the story from there. She described Percy as brave and heroic, which made him uncomfortable. All he'd done was carry a hippie bag lady.**

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Percy for once in your life take a complement!" Percy pointedly looked away from her.

**Reyna studied him. "You're old for a recruit. You're what, sixteen?" **

**"I think so," Percy said. **

**"If you spent that many years on your own, without training or help, you should be dead. A son of Neptune? You'd have a powerful aura that would attract all kinds of monsters." **

"No kidding." Grover grumbled. "You attract more monsters than any demigod I've ever come across! I think it's because most want revenge on you in some way or another."

Percy shrugged. That would certainly explain a lot.

Piper's eyebrow hitched. "Why would monsters be after you for revenge?"

Nico laughed. "Because Percy killed most of them!"

The three's eyes widened. Killed _most_ of them?!

**"Yeah," Percy said. "I've been told that I smell.**

Grover shrugged. "You smell like fish, Annabeth smells like dusty books, Thalia and Jason smell like ozone and Nico smells like death. Personally, I like your smell the most."

Percy grinned at the others smugly which was promptly cut off when Annabeth glared at him.

**"Reyna almost cracked a smile, which gave Percy hope. Maybe she was human after all.**  
"**You must've been somewhere before the Wolf House," she said. Percy shrugged. Juno had said something about him slumbering, and he **_**did **_**have a vague feeling that he'd been asleep—maybe for a long time. But that didn't make sense. **

**Reyna sighed. "Well, the dogs haven't eaten you, so I suppose you're telling the truth." **

**"Great," Percy said. "Next time, can I take a polygraph?"**

"That's something your dad would say alright!" Apollo laughed, joined by Hermes. Poseidon smiled at his favorite son who smiled back.

**Reyna stood. She paced in front of the banners. Her metal dogs watched her go back and forth. "Even if I accept that you're not an enemy," she said, "you're not a typical recruit. The Queen of Olympus simply doesn't appear at camp, announcing a new demigod. The last time a major god visited us in person like that…" She shook her head. **

"What?" Thals asked.

Jason looked thoughtful. "I think it was when she brought me there when I was a baby." He shrugged.

**"I've only heard legends about such things. And a son of Neptune…that's not a good omen. Especially now." **

Percy glared. "And what's wrong with Neptune?"

Athena rolled her eyes.

**"What's wrong with Neptune?" Percy asked. **

Percy blushed while the others snickered. At least he will never lose his faith to his father.

**"And what do you mean, 'especially now'?" Hazel shot him a warning look. Reyna kept pacing. **

**"You've fought Medusa's sisters, who haven't been seen in thousands of years. You've agitated our Lares, who are calling you a **_**graecus. **_**And you wear strange symbols—that shirt, the beads on your necklace. What do they mean?"**

**Percy looked down at his tattered orange T-shirt. It might have had words on it at one point, but they were too faded to read. He should have thrown the shirt away weeks ago. It was worn to shreds, but he couldn't bear to get rid of it. **

Anna smiled slightly. He remembered, though subconsciously, how important camp Half-Blood was to him.

**He just kept washing it in streams and water fountains as best he could and putting it back on. As for the necklace, the four clay beads were each decorated with a different symbol. One showed a trident.**

"When you came to camp." Annabeth said.

**Another displayed a miniature Golden Fleece.**

"Saving Thalia's tree."

**The third was etched with the design of a maze,**

"Battle of the Labyrinth."

**and the last had an image of a building— maybe the Empire State Building? — with names Percy didn't recognize engraved around it.**

"The Titan war and those who died." Anna finished as the past demigods never received that bead yet. They all looked down in sadness.  
**The beads felt important, like pictures from a family album, but he couldn't remember what they meant.**  
"**I don't know," he said. **

**"And your sword?" Reyna asked. **

"How did she know about your sword?" Artemis narrowed her eyes. Contrary to belief she did not hate men. She just never met one who was worthy enough to be liked. That is, until she met Percy Jackson, the young boy who was willing to jump off a cliff to reach his best friend, who was a girl. Ever since, she held a soft spot in her heart for the young hero and would always protect him. She would never tell Apollo though, that would be a nightmare.

**Percy checked his pocket. The pen had reappeared as it always did. He pulled it out, but then realized he'd never shown Reyna the sword. Hazel and Frank hadn't seen it either. How had Reyna known about it? Too late to pretend it didn't exist.… He uncapped the pen. Riptide sprang to full form. Hazel gasped. The greyhounds barked apprehensively. **

**"What is that?" Hazel asked. "I've never seen a sword like that." **

**"I have," Reyna said darkly. "It's very old—a Greek design. We used to have a few in the armory before…" She stopped herself.**  
"**The metal is called Celestial bronze. It's deadly to monsters, like Imperial gold, but even rarer." **

"**It's not rare." Nico snorted. **

Jason scowled slightly at the floor. Why were the Greeks' weapons better than Romes'. Why did they have unlimited amounts of Celestial Bronze, while Romans had to scrape by with whatever Imperial Gold they have. It wasn't fair.

**"Imperial gold?" Percy asked. **

**Reyna unsheathed her dagger. Sure enough, the blade was gold. "The metal was consecrated in ancient times, at the Pantheon in Rome. Its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors—a way for their champions to slay monsters that threatened the empire. We used to have more weapons like this, but now…well, we scrape by. I use this dagger. Hazel has a **_**spatha, **_**a cavalry sword. Most legionnaires use a shorter sword called a **_**gladius. **_**But that weapon of yours is not Roman at all. It's another sign you're not a typical demigod. And your arm..." **

**"What about it?" Percy asked. Reyna held up her own forearm. Percy hadn't noticed before, but she had a tattoo on the inside: the letters SPQR, a crossed sword and torch, and under that, four parallel lines like score marks. Percy glanced at Hazel. **

**"We all have them," she confirmed, holding up her arm. "All full members of the legion do." Hazel's tattoo also had the letters SPQR, but she only had one score mark, and her emblem was different: a black glyph like a cross with curved arms and a head:**  
**Percy looked at his own arms. A few scrapes, some mud, and a fleck of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wiener, but no tattoos. **

**"So you've never been a member of the legion," Reyna said. "These marks can't be removed. I thought perhaps…" She shook her head, as if dismissing an idea. Hazel leaned forward. **

**"If he's survived as a loner all this time, maybe he's seen Jason."**

Jason looked away from the glances thrown his way. This was the first time Jason had been mentioned in his own home. It saddened him slightly.  
**She turned to Percy. "Have you ever met a demigod like us before? A guy in a purple shirt, with marks on his arm—" "Hazel." Reyna's voice tightened. "Percy's got enough to worry about." Percy touched the point of his sword and Riptide shrank back into a pen. **

**"I haven't seen anyone like you guys before. Who's Jason?" Reyna gave Hazel an irritated look. **

**"He is…he **_**was **_**my colleague." She waved her hand at the second empty chair. "The legion normally has two elected praetors. Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, was our other praetor until he disappeared last October."**

**Percy tried to calculate. He hadn't paid much attention to the calendar out in the wilderness, but Juno had mentioned that it was now June. "You mean he's been gone eight months, and you haven't replaced him?" **

"Wait!" Anna bolted up from her lounging position. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale. The others from the future weren't much better. "Eight months?! That's how long Percy's been missing! But Jason was awake almost the entire time! It was mentioned that Percy only woke up two months ago! He's been asleep for six months!"

The ones from the present gasped. Percy paled at the thought of sleeping for that long.

**"He might not be dead," Hazel said. "We haven't given up." **

**Reyna grimaced. Percy got the feeling this guy Jason might've been more to her than just a colleague.**

Jason blushed and Piper glared. He was confused right now. He had history and some feelings for Reyna, but with Piper, he felt so free, so happy, and he definitely had strong feelings for her. He knew that if he was forced to choose, it would be Piper and he knew he would possibly ruin his friendship with Reyna forever. He sighed and grabbed Piper's hand, causing her to blush.

He had chosen.

"**Elections only happen in two ways," Reyna said. "Either the legion raises someone on a shield after a major success on the battlefield—and we haven't had any major battles—or we hold a ballot on the evening of June 24, at the Feast of Fortuna. That's in five days." **

Thalia raised her hand, halting Athena's reading. "I have a feeling Kelp Head is going to make a stupid remark right now."

Percy glared but didn't argue. He had a feeling she was right.

**Percy frowned. "You have a feast for **_**tuna**_**?**_**"**_

"See." Thalia smirked and Percy glared.

"_**Fortuna," **_**Hazel corrected. "She's the goddess of luck. Whatever happens on her feast day can affect the entire rest of the year. She can grant the camp good luck…or **_**really **_**bad luck."**  
**Reyna and Hazel both glanced at the empty display stand, as if thinking about what was missing. A chill went down Percy's back. **

**"The Feast of Fortune…The gorgons mentioned that. So did Juno. They said the camp was going to be attacked on that day, something about a big bad goddess named Gaea, and an army, and Death being unleashed. You're telling me that day is this **_**week**_**?" **

**Reyna's fingers tightened around the hilt of her dagger. "You will say nothing about that outside this room," she ordered. "I will not have you spreading more panic in the camp."**  
"**So it's true," Percy said. "Do you know what's going to happen? Can we stop it?" Percy had just met these people. He wasn't sure he even liked Reyna. But he wanted to help. They were demigods, the same as him. They had the same enemies. Besides, Percy remembered what Juno had told him: it wasn't just this camp at risk. His old life, the gods, and the entire world might be destroyed. Whatever was coming down, it was huge.**  
"**We've talked enough for now," Reyna said. "Hazel, take him to Temple Hill. Find Octavian. On the way you can answer Percy's questions. Tell him about the legion." **

**"Yes, Reyna." Percy still had so many questions; his brain felt like it would melt. **

"Oh, you mean your _Seaweed_ Brain?" Annabeth asked innocently causing him to stick his tongue out at her. She giggled causing Jason, Piper and Leo to gape in shock. They still couldn't get over how different Annabeth was when she was with Percy.

Unfortunately, Leo decided to open his mouth after being silent for so long.

"So let me get this straight." He pointed at Annabeth who narrowed her eyes. "To get you to stop being all Annzilla on us, we had to stick our tongues out at you?"

Piper and Jason slapped their foreheads. Apparently Leo didn't realize it was Percy that affected Annabeth.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow menacingly. "Annzilla?"

Leo gulped. "N-nothing, nothing at all! I'll shut up now!"

**But Reyna made it clear the audience was over. She sheathed her dagger. The metal dogs stood and growled, inching toward Percy. "Good luck with the augury, Percy Jackson," she said. "If Octavian lets you live, perhaps we can compare notes…about your past."**

Annabeth and Anna stiffened. "What did she mean 'lets you live'?" They asked.

Jason glared. "Octavian." He growled. "He is not someone you want to be friends with. In fact, he doesn't even have friends! He has followers! He is obsessed with power and has been craving the praetor-ship for years! He believes he is better than everyone because he is a descendent of Apollo and can 'see the future' which he in fact does not see at all."

Everyone looked disgusted as he described him. Apollo especially looked horrified to be related to him.

Hera sighed. "Well, we should continue on. I'll read." 

**Alright, I know many of you have voted on when I should bring Percy in and so far when they read about the glacier fall is in the lead. Personally I was really hoping this chapter or one of the earlier ones would win but I am leaving it up to you! You can keep voting still and I will try and update faster!**

**Love you all,**

**EmrysLover12**


	5. Percy IV

Future demigods:

Nico – Nick

Thalia – Thals

Annabeth – Anna

I have decided to bring future Percy in from the future after he receives his quest. He will be from the end of the book so before his reunion with Annabeth.

I will hopefully be able to make a sequel of this and have them read Mark of Athena but it really depends on how busy I am with college and moving and everything.

On with the story!

ON THE WAY OUT OF CAMP, Hazel bought him anespresso drinkand a cherry muffin from Bombilo the two-headed coffee merchant.

Being around Argus so much, a two-headed coffee merchant did not surprise them in the least.

Percy inhaled the muffin. The coffee was great. Now, Percy thought, if he could just get a shower, a change of clothes, and some sleep, he'd be golden. Maybe even Imperial golden.

The demigods that knew Percy rolled their eyes fondly. The ones from the future had a longing glint in their eyes.

He watched a bunch ofkids in swimsuitsand towels head into a building that had steam coming out of a row of chimneys. Laughter and watery sounds echoed from inside, like it was an indoor pool—Percy's kind of place.

"Bath house," Hazel said. "We'll get you in there before dinner, hopefully. You haven't lived until you've had a Roman bath." Percy sighed with anticipation.

As they approached the front gate, the barracks got bigger and nicer. Even the ghosts looked better—with fancier armor and shinier auras. Percy tried to decipher the banners and symbols hanging in front of the buildings.

"You guys are divided into different cabins?" he asked.

"Sort of." Hazel ducked as a kid riding a giant eagle swooped overhead.

"We have five cohorts of about forty kids each. Each cohort is divided into barracks of ten—like roommates, kind of."

Percy had never been great atmath, but he tried to multiply.

"You're telling me there's two hundred kids at camp?"

The Greeks frowned. That really wasn't fair. The Greeks were the ones dying and risking their lives fighting monsters while the Romans stayed in their little safe haven.

"Roughly."

"And_all_of them are children of the gods? The gods have been busy."

Apollo and Hermes smirked widely. They were _always_ busy.

Hazel laughed. "Not all of them are children of_major_gods. There are hundreds of minor Roman gods. Plus, a lot of the campers are legacies—second or third generation. Maybe their parents were demigods. Or their grandparents."

Percy blinked. "Children of demigods?"

"Why? Does that surprise you?"

Percy wasn't sure. The last few weeks he'd been so worried about surviving day to day. The idea of living long enough to be an adult and have kids of his own—that seemed like an impossible dream.

Percy nodded. "It's something I haven't thought about since I discovered I was a demigod."

The Gods frowned, especially Poseidon.

"These Legos—"

Thals and Nick snorted.

"Legacies," Hazel corrected.

"They have powers like a demigod?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes not. But they can be trained. All the best Roman generals and emperors—you know, they all claimed to be descended from gods. Most of the time, they were telling the truth. The camp augur we're going to meet, Octavian, he's a legacy, descendant of Apollo. He's got the gift of prophecy, supposedly."

"Supposedly?"

Hazel made a sour face. "You'll see."

Jason, too, made a sour face. He really hated Octavian.

That didn't make Percy feel so great, if this dude Octavian had Percy's fate in his hands.

"So the divisions," he asked, "the cohorts, whatever—you're divided according to who your godly parent is?"

Hazel stared at him. "What a horrible idea! No, the officers decide where to assign recruits. If we were divided according to god, the cohorts would be all uneven. I'd be alone."

Percy, Thalia, Thals, Nick, Nico and Jason stared at the floor in sadness. They knew what that was like. Though now Thalia/Thals doesn't sleep in the Zeus cabin, Jason is now alone. Percy sometimes gets a roommate, aka Tyson, but almost all the time, he was alone. Nico doesn't even have a cabin. At least, not yet.

Percy felt a twinge of sadness, like he'd been in that situation. "Why? What's your ancestry?"

Before she could answer, someone behind them yelled, "Wait!"

A ghost ran toward them—an old man with a medicine-ball belly and toga so long he kept tripping on it. He caught up to them and gasped for air, his purple aura flickering around him.

"This is him?" the ghost panted. "A new recruit for the Fifth, perhaps?"

"Vitellius,"

Jason grimaced. "Ugh, Vitellius. Trust me, stay away from him. He's not like Octavian, but you don't want to be around him for any amount of time."

Hazel said, "we're sort of in a hurry."

The ghost scowled at Percy and walked around him, inspecting him like a used car. "I don't know," he grumbled. "We need only the best for the cohort. Does he have all his teeth? Can he fight? Does he clean stables?"

Annabeth smirked. "Yes, yes, and yes."

Leo rose an eyebrow at Percy. "You clean stables?"

Percy blushed. "It was one time and I had to so that we would survive! They were flesh-eating horses too! Had no respect for a son of Poseidon." He pouted.

They all laughed at him.

"Yes, yes, and no," Percy said.

"Um," Thalia laughed, "I think you missed one Percy."

"Who are you?"

"Percy, this is Vitellius." Hazel's expression said:_Just humor him._"He's one of our Lares; takes an interest in new recruits."

On a nearby porch, other ghosts snickered as Vitellius paced back and forth, tripping over his toga and hiking up his sword belt.

"Yes," Vitellius said, "back in Caesar's day—that's_Julius_Caesar, mind you—the Fifth Cohort was something! Twelfth Legion Fulminata, pride of Rome! But these days? Disgraceful what we've come to. Look at Hazel here, using a_spatha._Ridiculous weapon for a Roman legionnaire—that's for cavalry! And you, boy—you smell like a Greek sewer. Haven't you had a bath?"

"I've been a little busy fighting gorgons," Percy said.

"Vitellius," Hazel interrupted, "we've got to get Percy's augury before he can join. Why don't you check on Frank? He's in the armory doing inventory. You_know_how much he values your help."

Leo rose his eyebrows, impressed. He liked this girl. Nick saw his look and scowled. He better stay away from his sister!

The ghost's furry purple eyebrows shot up. "Mars Almighty! They let the_probation_check the armor? We'll be ruined!"

He stumbled off down the street, stopping every few feet to pick up his sword or rearrange his toga.

"O-h-h-kay," Percy said.

"Sorry," Hazel said. "He's eccentric, but he's one of the oldest Lares. Been around since the legion was founded."

"He called the legion…_Fulminata?"_Percy said.

"Armed with Lightning." Jason translated.

"'Armed with Lightning,'" Hazel translated. "That's our motto. The Twelfth Legion was around for the entire Roman Empire. When Rome fell, a lot of legions just disappeared. We went underground, acting on secret orders from Jupiter himself: stay alive, recruit demigods and their children, keep Rome going. We've been doing that ever since, moving around to wherever Roman influence was strongest. The last few centuries, we've been in America."

As bizarre as that sounded, Percy had no trouble believing it. In fact, it sounded familiar, like something he'd always known.

Annabeth sighed exaggeratedly. "I wish you were that easy to convince the first time. It took forever before you believed anything I was saying."

Percy made a face at her which she copied, both smiling.

Anna's fingers tightened on her ring. The emeralds bit into her flesh, but she didn't flinch. Oh how she wished she could put it on her finger. Later.

"And you're in the Fifth Cohort," he guessed, "which maybe isn't the most popular?"

Hazel scowled. "Yeah. I joined up last September."

"So…just a few weeks before that guy Jason disappeared."

Percy knew he'd hit a sore spot. Hazel looked down. She was silent long enough to count every paving stone.

"Come on," she said at last. "I'll show you my favorite view."

Thalia frowned. "You two must have been at least a little close with the way she's reacting."

Jason frowned too. "I think we were kind of close. I'm not entirely sure."

They stopped outside the main gates. The fort was situated on the highest point in the valley, so they could see pretty much everything.

The road led down to the river and divided. One path led south across a bridge, up to the hill with all the temples. The other road led north into the city, a miniature version of Ancient Rome. Unlike the military camp, the city looked chaotic and colorful, with buildings crowded together at haphazard angles. Even from this far away, Percy could see people gathered in the plaza, shoppers milling around an open-air market, parents with kids playing in the parks.

The demigods sighed. It just wasn't fair. Their entire camp was centered around practicing and fighting. The Romans got to actually live their lives there. _It just wasn't fair._

"You've got families here?" he asked.

"In the city, absolutely," Hazel said. "When you're accepted into the legion, you do ten years of service. After that, you can muster out whenever you want. Most demigods go into the mortal world. But for some—well, it's pretty dangerous out there. This valley is a sanctuary. You can go to college in the city, get married, have kids, retire when you get old. It's the only safe place on earth for people like us. So yeah, a lot of veterans make their homes there, under the protection of the legion."

The Greek demigods scowled at the floor. Jason looked uncomfortable.

Adult demigods. Demigods who could live without fear, get married, raise a family. Percy couldn't quite wrap his mind around that. It seemed too good to be true.

"But if this valley is attacked?"

Hazel pursed her lips. "We have defenses. The borders are magical. But our strength isn't what it used to be. Lately, the monster attacks have been increasing. What you said about the gorgons not dying… we've noticed that too, with other monsters."

"Do you know what's causing it?" Hazel looked away. Percy could tell that she was holding something back—something she wasn't supposed to say.

"It's—it's complicated," she said. "My brother says Death isn't—"

"Her brother?" Annabeth asked thoughtfully. "I thought she said she would be alone if they lived like us, separated by parents? Why didn't she mention a brother?"

Nick shifted uncomfortably. They were going to find out and Thals and Anna were going to kill him.

She was interrupted by an elephant.

Someone behind them shouted, "Make way!"

Hazel dragged Percy out of the road as a demigod rode past on a full-grown pachyderm covered in black Kevlar armor. The word elephant was printed on the side of his armor, which seemed a little obvious to Percy.

Leo grinned. "Hey, Anna…"

Anna glared. "No."

"But-"

"No."

The elephant thundered down the road and turned north, heading toward a big open field where some fortifications were under construction.

Percy spit dust out of his mouth.

"What the—?"

"Elephant," Hazel explained.

"Yeah, I read the sign. Why do you have an elephant in a bulletproof vest?"

"War games tonight," Hazel said. "That's Hannibal. If we didn't include him, he'd get upset."

"We can't have that."

Hazel laughed. It was hard to believe she'd looked so moody a moment ago. Percy wondered what she'd been about to say. She had a brother.

Yet she had claimed she'd be alone if the camp sorted her by her godly parent.

Percy couldn't figure her out. She seemed nice and easy going, mature for somebody who couldn't have been more than thirteen. But she also seemed to be hiding a deep sadness, like she felt guilty about something.

Anna smiled softly. "You always were good at reading people."

Percy smiled too. "Yeah, like on our first quest. In the truck?"

Anna, Annabeth and Percy smiled. Grover hid a smile by turning his head. They had thought he was sleeping, but he was actually listening in. At the time he couldn't believe Percy got Annabeth to open up about her home life. She never even talked about it to Thalia and Luke. That was the moment when he knew that they were destined to be together, as corny as that sounds.

Hazel pointed south across the river. Dark clouds were gathering over Temple Hill. Red flashes of lightning washed the monuments in blood-colored light. "Octavian is busy," Hazel said. "We'd better get over there."

On the way, they passed some goat-legged guys hanging out on the side of the road.

Grover perked up at the mention of satyrs.

"Hazel!" one of them cried.

He trotted over with a big grin on his face. He wore a faded Hawaiian shirt and nothing for pants except thick brown goat fur. His massive Afro jiggled. His eyes were hidden behind little round rainbow tinted glasses. He held a cardboard sign that read: WILL WORKSINGTALKgo away for denarii.

Everyone looked at Grover who was spluttering incomprehensibly. "That is outrageous! How dare they call themselves satyrs! That is an insult to us!"

Jason grimaced. "They don't call themselves satyrs. They're fawns."

Grover glared, which was pretty menacing for a fun loving goat. "IT DOESN"T MATTER!"

Percy moved quickly. He jumped up and grabbed Grover's arms and positioned them behind his back, keeping him from moving. He whispered something inaudible in Grover's ear which, miraculously, managed to calm him down. He let go of Grover and returned to his seat while Grover grumbled to the floor.

At the curious glances thrown his way, Percy just shrugged. What he told Grover was between them.

"Hi, Don," Hazel said. "Sorry, we don't have time—"

"Oh, that's cool! That's cool!" Don trotted along with them. "Hey, this guy's new!" He grinned at Percy. "Do you have three denarii for the bus? Because I left my wallet at home, and I've got to get to work, and—"

Grover glared menacingly at the book which was pretty scary for a satyr.

"Don," Hazel chided. "Fauns don't have wallets. Or jobs. Or homes. And we don't have buses."

"Right," he said cheerfully, "but do you have denarii?"

"Your name is Don the Faun?" Percy asked.

The demigods laughed and the more relaxed Gods snickered. Apollo winked at Percy causing him to laugh harder.

"Yeah. So?"

"Nothing." Percy tried to keep a straight face. "Why don't fauns have jobs? Shouldn't they work for the camp?"

Grover nodded stiffly, still glaring.

Don bleated. "Fauns! Work for the camp! Hilarious!"

Hera quickly continued reading before Grover could explode. He looked pretty close too.

"Fauns are, um, free spirits," Hazel explained. "They hang out here because, well, it's a safe place to hang out and beg. We tolerate them, but—"

"Oh, Hazel is awesome," Don said. "She's so nice! All the other campers are like, 'Go away, Don.' But she's like, 'Please go away, Don.' I love her!"

Leo pursed his lips in a tight line, desperately trying not to laugh.

The faun seemed harmless, but Percy still found him unsettling. He couldn't shake the feeling that fauns should be more than just homeless guys begging for denarii.

Grover smiled slightly. So, Percy would subconsciously remember him. That made him feel better. Percy was, after all, his best friend.

Don looked at the ground in front of them and gasped. "Score!"

He reached for something, but Hazel screamed, "Don, no!"

She pushed him out of the way and snatched up a small shiny object. Percy caught a glimpse of it before Hazel slipped it into her pocket. He could have sworn it was a diamond.

Annabeth frowned, something stirred in the back of her mind. She had a feeling she knew what that was about but she couldn't think of it.

Hades shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea how she could be alive.

"Come on, Hazel," Don complained. "I could've bought a year's worth of doughnuts with that!"

"Don, please," Hazel said. "Go away."

She sounded shaken, like she'd just saved Don from a charging bulletproof elephant.

The faun sighed. "Aw, I can't stay mad at you. But I swear, it's like you're good luck. Every time you walk by—"

"Good-bye, Don," Hazel said quickly.

"Let's go, Percy."

She started jogging. Percy had to sprint to catch up.

"What was that about?" Percy asked. "That diamond in the road—"

"Please," she said. "Don't ask."

Anna smiled slightly. "That won't stop Percy. He'll only wait until she least expects it, then he'll ask again."

Percy shrugged. The method works.

They walked in uneasy silence the rest of the way to Temple Hill. A crooked stone path led past a crazy assortment of tiny altars and massive domed vaults. Statues of gods seemed to follow Percy with their eyes.

Hazel pointed out the Temple of Bellona. "Goddess of war," she said. "That's Reyna's mom." Then they passed a massive red crypt decorated with human skulls on iron spikes.

"Please tell me we're not going in there," Percy said.

Hazel shook her head. "That's the Temple of Mars Ultor."

"Mars ... Ares, the war god?"

"That's his Greek name," Hazel said. "But, yeah, same guy. Ultor means 'the Avenger.' He's the second-most important god of Rome."

"Well," Percy said, sounding disgusted, "I'm not going there now."

Annabeth, Anna, Nico, Nick, Thalia, Thals and Grover laughed as everyone else looked at them confused. Ares looked furious at Percy who either didn't notice or didn't care, most likely the second.

"Why don't you want to go?" Jason's voice was slightly harsh. He didn't like it when people dissed his camp.

Percy smirked. "Let's just say… Ares and I don't get along all that well."

Jason looked at the God and saw the look of absolute fury on his face. He quickly looked away.

Percy wasn't thrilled to hear that. For some reason, just looking at the ugly red building made him feel angry.

Annabeth groaned all of a sudden.

"You're going to get into trouble with his Roman half now, aren't you?"

Percy shrugged. "Most likely."

She rolled her eyes fondly. She wouldn't want him any other way.

He pointed toward the summit. Clouds swirled over the largest temple, a round pavilion with a ring of white columns supporting a domed roof. "I'm guessing that's Zeus—uh, I mean, Jupiter's? That's where we're heading?"

"Yeah." Hazel sounded edgy. "Octavian reads auguries there—the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus."

Percy had to think about it, but the Latin words clicked into English.

"Jupiter…the best and the greatest?"

"Right."

"What's Neptune's title?" Percy asked. "The coolest and most awesome?"

Poseidon smirked as his brothers scoffed.

"You wish." Zeus grumbled. He and Hades look to their children for support but both the present and future versions of their kids were studiously not looking at them. Thals was fiddling with her tiara, Nick was examining his skull ring, Thalia was playing with a ball of lightning and Nico was more concerned with the dirt of his shoes.

Poseidon's smirk widened.

"Um, not quite." Hazel gestured to a small blue building the size of a tool shed. A cobweb-covered trident was nailed above the door.

And now he winced. The Romans still hated him for whatever reason.

Percy was stunned for a moment before he felt anger course through his veins. His father deserved respect! The Romans were going to pay for this!

Jason was toying with a loose thread on his shirt. He didn't want to look at anyone and see their reactions. Especially Percy. That kid was scary.

Percy peeked inside. On a small altar sat a bowl with three dried-up, moldy apples.

Percy's anger grew.

His heart sank. "Popular place."

"I'm sorry, Percy," Hazel said. "It's just…Romans were always scared of the sea. They only used ships if they_had_to. Even in modern times, having a child of Neptune around has always been a bad omen. The last time one joined the legion …well, it was 1906, when Camp Jupiter was located across the bay in San Francisco. There was this huge earthquake—"

"You're telling me a child of Neptune caused that?"

"So they say." Hazel looked apologetic.

"Anyway…Romans fear Neptune, but they don't love him much." Percy stared at the cobwebs on the trident. Great, he thought. Even if he joined the camp, he would never be loved. His best hope was to be scary to his new campmates. Maybe if he did really well, they'd give him some moldy apples.

Still…standing at Neptune's altar, he felt something stirring inside him, like waves rippling through his veins.

Poseidon frowned angrily. "It appears that I have been trying to contact you, but was blocked." He glared at Zeus.

Anna blinked back tears. She remembered waking up in Percy's cabin a few months after he disappeared and seeing Poseidon sitting on one of the bunks, a picture of her and Percy at the beach in his hands. He confessed that he had been trying to find his son and get in contact with him but Zeus would not allow it. He blocked all access to Percy from everyone, even the Gods. All except Hera of course. That day, she and Poseidon became close. They bonded over Percy's disappearance and he was now like a second father to her. It hurt her to see him so distressed over Percy's situation. She wanted to give him a hug like she would his future self, but she was afraid of what her mother would do.

She rolled the ring between her fingers, keeping it hidden from sight.

He reached in his backpack and dug out the last bit of food from his trip—a stale bagel. It wasn't much, but he set it on the altar.

Percy and Poseidon smiled at each other.

"Hey…uh, Dad." He felt pretty stupid talking to a bowl of fruit. "If you can hear me, help me out, okay? Give me my memory back. Tell me—tell me what to do."

His voice cracked. He hadn't meant to get emotional, but he was exhausted and scared, and he'd been lost for so long, he would've given anything for some guidance. He wanted to know something about his life for sure, without grabbing for missing memories.

Hazel put her hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be okay. You're here now. You're one of us."

Anna glared. He was not one of them! He was a Greek! Always will be!

He felt awkward, depending on an eighth-grade girl he barely knew for comfort, but he was glad she was there.

Above them, thunder rumbled. Red lightning lit up the hill.

"Octavian's almost done," Hazel said.

"Let's go."

Compared to Neptune's tool shed, Jupiter's temple was definitely optimus and maximus. The marble floor was etched with fancy mosaics and Latin inscriptions. Sixty feet above, the domed ceiling sparkled gold. The whole temple was open to the wind.

In the centre stood a marble altar, where a kid in a toga was doing some sort of ritual in front of a massive golden statue of the big dude himself: Jupiter the sky god, dressed in a silk XXXL purple toga, holding a lightning bolt.

"It doesn't look like that," Percy muttered.

"What?" Hazel asked.

"The master bolt," Percy said.

Anna, Annabeth and Grover smiled widely. Maybe he was getting his memory back…

Jason looked at him, confused. "How do you know that?"

"My first quest was to find Zeus' master bolt, which he blamed me for stealing even though I didn't even know I was a demigod at the time." Percy rolled his eyes.

Zeus glared at him.

"What are you_talking_about?"

"I—" Percy frowned. For a second, he'd thought he remembered something. Now it was gone. "Nothing, I guess."

They sighed, disappointed. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy.

The kid at the altar raised his hands. More red lightning flashed in the sky, shaking the temple. Then he put his hands down, and the rumbling stopped. The clouds turned from gray to white and broke apart. A pretty impressive trick, considering the kid didn't look like much. He was tall and skinny, with straw-colored hair, oversized jeans, a baggy T-shirt, and a drooping toga. He looked like a scarecrow wearing a bed sheet.

"What's he doing?" Percy murmured.

The guy in the toga turned. He had a crooked smile and a slightly crazy look in his eyes,

Jason glared. Crazy was right.

like he'd just been playing an intense video game. In one hand he held a knife. In the other hand was something like a dead animal. That didn't make him look any less crazy.

Grover looked like he was about to commit murder.

"Percy," Hazel said, "this is Octavian."

"The_graecus_!" Octavian announced.

"How interesting."

"Uh, hi," Percy said. "Are you killing small animals?"

Leo snorted before shutting up, seeing Grover's scary glare directed at him.

Octavian looked at the fuzzy thing in his hand and laughed. "No, no. Once upon a time, yes. We used to read the will of the gods by examining animal guts—chickens, goats, that sort of thing. Nowadays, we use these."

He tossed the fuzzy thing to Percy. It was a disemboweled teddy bear. Then Percy noticed that there was a whole pile of mutilated stuffed animals at the foot of Jupiter's statue.

"Seriously?" Percy asked.

Leo couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously? This is the guy who tells your future? By murdering stuffed animals? The oracle is so much better!"

He received strange looks from everyone in the present. How could a mummy be better?

Piper slapped him for almost revealing the future.

Octavian stepped off the dais. He was probably about eighteen, but so skinny and sickly pale, he could've passed for younger.

At first he looked harmless, but as he got closer, Percy wasn't so sure. Octavian's eyes glittered with harsh curiosity, like he might gut Percy just as easily as a teddy bear if he thought he could learn something from it.

Octavian narrowed his eyes. "You seem nervous."

"You remind me of someone," Percy said. "I can't remember who."

Noticing eyes on him, Percy sighed. "I was probably thinking of… Luke."

Annabeth and Thalia winced. Anna and Thals, however, remained unaffected. Hermes' face scrunched up in grief. After all, Luke had only died a few hours ago for them.

"Possibly my namesake, Octavian— Augustus Caesar. Everyone says I bear a remarkable resemblance."

Percy didn't think that was it, but he couldn't pin down the memory. "Why did you call me 'the Greek'?"

"I saw it in the auguries." Octavian waved his knife at the pile of stuffing on the altar. "The message said:_The Greek has arrived.___Or possibly:_The goose has cried._ I'm thinking the first interpretation is correct. You seek to join the legion?"

Apollo moaned and dropped his head into his hands. He was ashamed of having a descendent as sad as this.

Hazel spoke for him. She told Octavian everything that had happened since they met at the tunnel—the gorgons, the fight at the river, the appearance of Juno, their conversation with Reyna.

When she mentioned Juno, Octavian looked surprised.

"Juno," he mused. "We call her Juno Moneta. Juno the Warner. She appears in times of crisis, to counsel Rome about great threats."

He glanced at Percy, as if to say:_like mysterious Greeks, for instance._

"I hear the Feast of Fortuna is this week," Percy said. "The gorgons warned there'd be an invasion on that day. Did you see that in your stuffing?"

"Sadly, no." Octavian sighed. "The will of the gods is hard to discern. And these days, my vision is even darker."

"Don't you have…I don't know," Percy said, "an oracle or something?"

"An oracle!" Octavian smiled. "What a cute idea. No, I'm afraid we're fresh out of oracles.

The Greeks smirked smugly. Rachel felt this strange feeling in her stomach. As though it was she they were talking about. But that was impossible. She was a mortal… right?

Now, if we'd gone questing for the Sibylline books, like I recommended—"

"The Siba-what?" Percy asked.

"Books of prophecy," Hazel said, "which Octavian is_obsessed_with. Romans used to consult them when disasters happened. Most people believe they burned up when Rome fell."

"_Some_people believe that," Octavian corrected. "Unfortunately our present leadership won't authorize a quest to look for them—"

Jason frowned. "That would be a disaster if Octavian obtained them. He would abuse the knowledge and mold it for his own means."

Apollo looked furious at his descendent. You cannot control prophecies!

"Because Reyna isn't stupid," Hazel said. "—so we have only a few remaining scraps from the books," Octavian continued.

"A few mysterious predictions, like these." He nodded to the inscriptions on the marble floor. Percy stared at the lines of words, not really expecting to understand them. He almost choked.

"That one." He pointed, translating as he read aloud:_"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall_—_"_

The demigods from the future winced while the present ones looked confused.

Thals explained. "The Oracle delivered that prophecy right after this war. It is very important."

Percy swallowed. He knew, in his very bones, that he was involved with this prophecy as well. Can't he ever get a break?

Annabeth grabbed his hand in a vice grip. She realized the same thing.

"Yes, yes." Octavian finished it without looking:_"An oath to keep with a final breath and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."_

Apollo frowned, trying to decipher what it means.

"I—I know that one." Percy thought thunder was shaking the temple again. Then he realized his whole body was trembling. "That's_important._"

Octavian arched an eyebrow. "Of course it's important. We call it the Prophecy of Seven, but it's several thousand years old.

We don't know what it means. Every time someone tries to interpret it…Well, Hazel can tell you. Bad things happen."

Hazel glared at him. "Just read the augury for Percy. Can he join the legion or not?"

Percy could almost see Octavian's mind working, calculating whether or not Percy would be useful. He held out his hand for Percy's backpack. "That's a beautiful specimen. May I?"

Percy didn't understand what he meant, but Octavian snatched the Bargain Mart panda pillow that was sticking out of the top of his pack. It was just a silly stuffed toy, but Percy had carried it a long way. He was kind of fond of it.

Annabeth, Thalia, Nico and Grover laughed. Rachel smiled. Such a Percy thing for him to do.

Octavian turned toward the altar and raised his knife.

"Hey!" Percy protested.

Octavian slashed open the panda's belly and poured its stuffing over the altar.

He tossed the panda carcass aside, muttered a few words over the fluff, and turned with a big smile on his face. "Good news!" he said. "Percy may join the legion. We'll assign him a cohort at evening muster. Tell Reyna that I approve."

Hazel's shoulders relaxed. "Uh…great. Come on, Percy."

"Oh, and Hazel," Octavian said. "I'm happy to welcome Percy into the legion. But when the election for praetor comes up, I hope you'll remember—"

"Jason_isn't_dead," Hazel snapped.

Jason's eyes widened. They thought he was dead? That wasn't good. If Octavian gains praetor… that would be disaster.

"You're the augur. You're supposed to be looking for him!"

"Oh, I am!" Octavian pointed at the pile of gutted stuffed animals. "I consult the gods every day! Alas, after eight months, I've found nothing. Of course, I'm still looking. But if Jason doesn't return by the Feast of Fortuna, we must act. We can't have a power vacuum any longer. I hope you'll support me for praetor. It would mean so much to me."

Percy shook his head. "He is too addicted to power. A leader who craves nothing but power is not a leader but a parasite. He would destroy the camp within a few months."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "How do you know _that_?"

He shrugged. He knew what power does to people, and the people surrounding them. He had seen it firsthand. He never wanted that power.

Hazel clenched her fists. "Me. Support. You?"

Octavian took off his toga, setting it and his knife on the altar. Percy noticed seven lines on Octavian's arm—seven years of camp, Percy guessed. Octavian's mark was a harp, the symbol of Apollo.

"After all," Octavian told Hazel, "I might be able to help you. It would be a shame if those awful rumors about you kept circulating…or, gods forbid, if they turned out to be true."

"He's blackmailing her." Paul hissed. He had stayed quiet throughout the reading as he felt very uncomfortable in a room full of Gods and demigods and he was only one of three mortals, but he couldn't stay quiet with this. He was a teacher after all. Sally gripped his hand.

Percy looked angry as well. Hazel had been nothing but nice to his future self and she didn't deserve to be treated in such a way.

Nick and Hades had a dangerous glint in their eyes. No one threatened their family.

Percy slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed his pen. This guy was blackmailing Hazel. That was obvious. One sign from Hazel, and Percy was ready to bust out Riptide and see how Octavian liked being at the other end of a blade.

Annabeth smiled. "You always were very protective of your friends. Even people you had just met."

Percy smiled at her and held her hand.

Hazel took a deep breath. Her knuckles were white. "I'll think about it."

"Excellent," Octavian said. "By the way, your brother is here."

Nick stiffened. Oh no…

Anna and Thals were going to kill him, if Percy didn't do it first.

Hazel stiffened. "My brother? Why?" Octavian shrugged. "Why does your brother do_anything_? He's waiting for you at your father's shrine. Just…ah, don't invite him to stay too long. He has a disturbing effect on the others.

Nick's eyes narrowed. Next time he's at the camp, he'll scar Octavian for life for messing with his sister.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to keep searching for our poor lost friend, Jason. Nice to meet you, Percy."

Hazel stormed out of the pavilion, and Percy followed. He was sure he'd never been so glad to leave a temple in his life. As Hazel marched down the hill, she cursed in Latin. Percy didn't understand all of it, but he got_son of a gorgon_,_power hungry snake_, and a few choice suggestions about where Octavian could stick his knife.

Thalia smirked. "I like this girl."

Nick rolled his eyes. He always knew Thalia and Hazel would get along well.

"I_hate_that guy," she muttered in English. "If I had my way—"

"He won't really get elected praetor, will he?" Percy asked.

"I wish I could be certain. Octavian has a lot of friends, most of them_bought_.

The rest of the campers are afraid of him."

"Afraid of that skinny little guy?"

"Don't underestimate him. Reyna's not so bad by herself, but if Octavian shares her power…" Hazel shuddered. "Let's go see my brother. He'll want to meet you."

Nick winced. No, he wouldn't want to see Percy like that. Percy was like the brother he never had. He had joined the search for him as soon as he learned he was gone. To see him without his memories would be like stabbing a knife into his stomach. He wants their Percy back.

Percy didn't argue. He wanted to meet this mysterious brother, maybe learn something about Hazel's background— who her dad was, what secret she was hiding. Percy couldn't believe she'd done anything to be guilty about. She seemed too nice. But Octavian had acted like he had some first-class dirt on her.

Hazel led Percy to a black crypt built into the side of the hill.

Suspicious glances were thrown towards Hades and Nick.

Standing in front was a teenage boy in black jeans and an aviator jacket.

The glances started turning to glares at Nick. That sounded too close for comfort.

"Hey," Hazel called. "I've brought a friend."

The boy turned. Percy had another one of those weird flashes: like this was somebody he should know.

Anna and Thals were glaring murderously at Nick, their hands forming fists. The ring bit into Anna's palm, almost drawing blood. She didn't notice.

The kid was almost as pale as Octavian, but with dark eyes and messy black hair. He didn't look anything like Hazel. He wore a silver skull ring, a chain for a belt, and a black T-shirt with skull designs. At his side hung a pure-black sword.

Percy had a hard face as he looked at Nick.

For a microsecond when he saw Percy, the boy seemed shocked—panicked even, like he'd been caught in a searchlight.

Nick couldn't bare to look at anyone, especially Percy. He wouldn't be able to tell Percy anything, Hera had forbidden it.

"This is Percy Jackson," Hazel said. "He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto." The boy regained his composure and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm Nico Di Angelo."

"NICO!" Thals and Anna yelled before moving simultaneously. They both jumped on him and pulled him to the floor, punching every inch of him they could get as he yelled for help.

Percy jumped to his feet, about to pull them off Nick when something glinted from the corner of his eye. Something shiny was laying on the floor in front of where Anna had been sitting. Crouching down he lifted it off the floor only to almost drop it in shock.

It was an engagement ring.


	6. Engagement

**Okay I am so sorry for the long wait and for such a short chapter but I had promised my readers of my other story that I would not publish this chapter until I published the chapter to my other story. I had kept them waiting for a LOT longer than I have kept you waiting so you can see why I made that promise. **

**Also I had just moved into my dorm on Wednesday and every day since the Freshman were required to join in on all these activities. They were fun so I'm not complaining. Also my classes start tomorrow so it will be some time before I am able to update. **

**I love all you faithful readers and I thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. **

Percy's mind seemed to shut down. He gazed, unblinkingly, down at the very expensive ring nestled between his fingers. The band was silver and wove over two diamonds, in-between which a beautiful emerald sat.

Percy was vaguely aware of the fight occurring just ten feet from him but he couldn't bring himself to care very much, even though it was the person he considered a younger brother being the one who was getting beaten. His breaths were coming in short, shaky gasps as he tried to comprehend what this meant. He had noticed, during the reading, that Anna had been fiddling with something small in her hand but he hadn't given it much thought. Now, however, it was all he could think about.

Was this why Anna had been so distraught over his disappearance. He knew it would be extremely hard - he almost lost his mind when Annabeth had been kidnapped and that was only for a short while – especially now that they had begun dating, but this would explain things a little better.

Percy was jostled back when a small and familiar hand wrapped around his arm, shaking it slightly. He snapped his head around to Annabeth who was looking at him in concern. His mind was still moving sluggishly which made him too slow to hide the ring. Annabeth's grey, sharp eyes zeroed in on the beautiful object before they became as large as drachmas. Her face became a deathly shade of white and she seemed to share Percy's problems with breathing.

"I-Is that…?" Annabeth whispered, as if she were afraid that talking any louder might make the ring disappear. Percy swallowed hard, dislodging a particularly large lump in his throat, and nodded. Annabeth gave a soft, shuddering gasp, her eyes taking on the tell-tale signs of wetness. "Then…" She slowly turned her head toward her future self who, along with Thals, was still beating up Nick.

Percy grasped her hand, squeezing reassuringly. "I know." He, too, spoke no louder than a whisper.

Annabeth reluctantly tore her eyes away from Anna and looked beseechingly at Percy. Her tears barely held back. "Do we ask…?"

Percy bit his lip hesitantly. He didn't want to bring attention to Anna, especially if she didn't tell anybody about it, but he didn't think he would be able to continue reading until he knew the whole story. He wouldn't be able to stand reading about his future self who had proposed to the girl he knew since he was twelve without knowing how or when. After all, apparently he was taken in just two months, which means sometime during those two months he proposes. TWO MONTHS! He had to know, he had to understand. Looking at Annabeth, he knew she felt the same as he did. He nodded.

Nobody noticed their exchange, everyone's attention was dedicated to the two girls beating the snot out of the son of Hades. Anna was gripping Nick's hair and was bending his leg at a very uncomfortable angle while Thals looked to be trying to tie Nick into a pretzel. Apollo and Hermes were sharing a bag of popcorn they had poofed up, Ares was cheering on the fighting, Athena was looking disapprovingly at her daughter, Poseidon, with anger written on his face, was cheering on the girls, Hades was glaring at the girls but he didn't intervene, he knew it wouldn't fully stop the girls, and the other Gods were just looking bored.

Jason, Piper and Leo were looking at the girls in shock. They hadn't seen Anna like this since they first met her and she threatened them with death unless they handed over Percy Jackson. Grover was looking satisfied as the young boy continued being pummeled. He, too, was extremely angry that the boy never told them where Percy was, as he could see that is what happed by the futures' reactions. Sally and Paul were staring at the scene in shock, along with Rachel. They were unsure on how to react. Tyson was just sitting and grinning, not really knowing what happened but was prepared to jump in if it looked like Anna was getting hurt. He liked Anna, she was his friend, and he knew his brother cared for her above almost anything. He wouldn't let her get hurt.

Percy shook his head at the scene before yelling, "Everyone STOP IT!"

The fighting, along with all sound, ceased as they turned toward Percy. Percy, however, only had eyes for Anna. He looked at her desperately, eyes wide and hand slightly shaking, he held the ring up. "Explain Anna. Now."

Anna looked at the ring and her face turned white as a sheet. The others noticed the ring as well and looked confused, excited, angry and baffled before they, too, turned to Anna for an explanation. The only ones who didn't seem surprised were Thals and Nick. Nick looked depressed while sporting a black eye and bloody nose while Thals bit her lip and tried to prevent her tears from falling. Anna started shaking as tears welled in her eyes as she looked at Percy. "I-I don't th-think that would – "

"NO ANNA!" Percy cut her off, his voice turning slightly angry. "I want a straight answer. I deserve a straight answer." He looked toward Annabeth. "_We_ deserve a straight answer."

Anna looked like she was about to fall apart any second but Percy didn't let up. He couldn't. He had to know. Anna took a deep breath.

"It was during our two month anniversary." She began, whispering as though she couldn't make herself speak any louder. "Percy, my Percy, had set up a romantic picnic on the beach with roses and candlelight. It was romantic and fun and comforting. We started to talk about the future and we both wondered if we would even have one. So… he made me a promise." Her tears were cascading down her face like tiny waterfalls. "He… he gave me this ring," she pointed to the ring, still held by Percy, "and promised me that whatever happens, we will be together. The ring is a promise for our future. Mine and Percy's future." She sobbed.

Percy's hard expression crumbled so fast it gave people whiplash. "Anna… I'm so sorry. Not just for making you tell us but for… for breaking my promise." He looked down, tears stinging his eyes.

Annabeth gasped. "No… Percy…-" she was cut off, however by a brilliant white light and a voice, a voice everyone in the room knew. For it was a voice that had just spoken previously.

"Meet my friend Terminus! He's a God!"

And there, standing atop a Giant, was a slightly battered, bruised, bloody and OLDER Percy Jackson, holding the head of a statue above his head before smashing it down onto the Giant below him, rendering him to dust.

When the dust cleared, older Percy (Perce) was standing in the same spot, still holding the statue head as he looked around in a slight daze. His gaze reached Hera and he growled at her before continuing his observation of the room. He noticed how there were two Nico's and Thalia's and a younger version of himself and Annabeth. He flexed his fingers on the head when he saw her. He reluctantly looked away from her and turned to his father.

"Dad, what happened?"

Poseidon said nothing. He just continued to look at his future son with shock along with most of the room. Perce began to become impatient when a shaky, scared voice penetrated his ears.

"P-Percy?"

He whipped around, knowing that voice anywhere. There she was, gripping a pillar like it was her lifeline and staring at him like she would a ghost of a loved one.

Perce's voice became strained as he croaked, "Annabeth…"

They surged forward. Anna wrapping her legs around his waist as her hands went to his hair and Perce's hands went to her lower back to keep her up. They kissed.

They had no idea how long it had been and they didn't care. All that mattered was that they were together again. After several minutes, or hours, they didn't know, they separated. They refused to let go of each other but they knew that Perce needed to know what was going on. Anna dragged Perce over to the couch where their younger versions were sitting and joined them. Percy was looking at Perce and Anna with wide eyes, Annabeth was as well.

Aphrodite was crying at the love she felt from the two future teens, Poseidon was grinning at his son's happiness, Athena was scowling and the rest were simply bored.

"So…" Perce looked around the room, "what'd I miss?"


End file.
